Blossoming At Last
by ignotumvirtus
Summary: A/N: Now this a one-shot collection! Update: "Tag Team." Summary: Sol Bi and Dae Hyun are polar opposites, with polar opposite problems. This is how Eun Sang and Young Do try to (un)successfully navigate their children's challenges.
1. Blossoming At Last

**Blossoming At Last**

* * *

It's a bit cliché, but Young Do's secretary asks to be dismissed early after a business meeting, as his wife has just arrived in Paris at the Charles De Gaulle Airport. They're going to spend the evening together on a romantic excursion. Then she's going to return home. _Like a Midsummer Night's dream._

Young Do shakes his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. He's not a dreamer or an artist who paints pretty words. He's a level-headed, tactful business man, dominating in his profession and striking terror in his competitors. His secretary is related to his father's secretary (both whom have retired), so there's a hint of fear when he poses the question to Young Do. He's not his father, but Young Do still likes to play around with those that are afraid of him.

"Ah, but what am I do without my precious secretary at my side? Should I search now for a new one?" he toys, watching his secretary squirm.

"N-No sir," the man stutters, fixing his tie. "I-I'll call my wife. I'm sure she'll understand. I'm sure – "

Young Do waves his hand, cutting him off. The check for his business meal comes, and he's surprised to find his partner paid it off. The waiter smiles apologetically and walks away, and Young Do sighs. Whenever potential business partners who have less income than him pay the tab, it almost always means that they're going to cancel the deal. It's like an apology, and he really hates apologies in business. They're either bitter or fake. His secretary looks even more agitated when he realizes the bill has been paid, and Young Do finally feels bad enough to let him off the hook.

"Yah. Don't you have a date to get ready for? Give me the car keys and take the metro home," he orders holding out a hand.

"Will you be alright driving?" his secretary asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Of course," Young Do nods. "We've been here for months; I can drive on the other side of the road by now." His secretary beams, fishing out the keys from his coat pocket and dropping them in Young Do's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, President!" he bows and practically runs out, leaving Young Do alone in the _Carette_. The sun is setting at this hour and he probably should get back to his hotel room. He takes in his surrounds: smells of pastries and strong coffee, and the different European languages that he could only understand if he listened carefully enough. Finally he gets up, slowly making his way out to the exit. He's mindlessly listening to the chatter when he finally catches someone speaking quietly in Korean. The door to the cool spring evening is caught in his hand, and he vaguely hears a waitress in French telling him to shut it. He turns to the side and catches eyes with the woman speaking in Korean and she smiles softly at him.

"… And he turned my bitter feelings into flowers," she smirks at him, typing away on her laptop but still maintaining eye contact with him. "Or something like that, right?" she asks Young Do, focusing all her attention on him.

Young Do feels the air knock out of his lungs. He smiles despite his shock, and suddenly the waitress is by his side, telling him, in English now to, _please sir, _close the door. A little embarrassed, he laughs and releases the door so it can swing closed, and then struts over to Eun Sang's table. The waitress gives him an incredulous look before shrugging the whole ordeal off and stalking away. Eun Sang giggles behind her hand at the interaction and Young Do feels his chest bubble up with joy.

"Cha Eun Sa – "

"Shh!" she brings a finger to her lips, attempting to look stern. "Choi Young Do," she whispers, pretending to be serious. "I'm finishing the last page of my book. This is a very big deal, you must be quiet until the artist is done with her masterpiece." Young Do begins to laugh before she shushes him again, but now she's smiling. Her eyes fall back to her laptop, and then she takes her lower lip into her mouth and begins typing like mad, her fingers flying across the keys. She's so focused that it reminds Young Do of why he would even run into Cha Eun Sang in an upscale place like this, in _Paris, _of all places.

His eyes fall back to hers when the typing sounds stop. He raises a brow at her, and she grins.

"Done," she sings happily.

"And another _wonderful_ novel to add to the _greatest_ mystery series the world has _ever_ read," Young Do drawls, waving his hands around for effect. Eun Sang rolls her eyes at his antics, bumping her knees with his from under the table.

"Nope," she sighs, running a hand through her hair. "First, I have to submit it to my editor .Then its editing, editing, and more editing!" She pouts, stirring her spoon in her coffee. "This won't even be properly released until this winter," she says, tapping her now closed laptop.

Young Do chuckles, "I'm sure your faithful readers will still be there even in the cold months. They've brought you this far haven't they?"

Eun Sang's eyes soften, "Yes. They've been really supportive." She sighs, looking out the window, "I'm due back in Korea in another month. They're adapting one of my trilogies into a drama, and they want me to read the first couple of scripts. And of course, meet the potential cast members."

Young Do grins, "I heard Mega Entertainment is lending some of their vocal powers for the soundtrack already."

Eun Sang chuckles, "These days Bo Na's always in my business. Even though I know she has her own business to run." She turns back to him and winks, "Though, I suppose you're no different in that sense."

"Guilty," he agrees, holding his hands up n defeat. She's always left him with a loss for words. "But what are you doing here?" he questions.

She feigns shock, "Why is it so surprising to see a writer in her natural habitat?" She gestures to the coffee shop, then the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "Doesn't everyone dream in Paris?"

"It does feel like a dream with you here," he replies, and Eun Sang takes his hand, struck by his sincerity. He makes a 'tsk' noise, moving his hand from hers to his lap. "You haven't really answered my question though, Cha Eun Sang."

"I've finally finished another chapter in my own life," she answer cryptically, giving him an innocent yet mischievous smile that he still hasn't become accustomed to. "And now I maybe able to complete one of yours."

"Oh?" he raises a brow at her, intrigued. She nods, bouncing up and down a bit from excitement. "How so?"

Eun Sang slides a napkin towards him and he takes it from the table so he can read it properly. He blinks when he processes the information. He recognizes the name and the address on it.

"This is – " he starts, the napkin falling back to the table.

"The customer you were just talking to. Yes, I know," she's laughing a bit now. "The deal wasn't quite as easy as you thought it was, huh?"

"You – " he begins to scold.

"I bought it instead," she finishes, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Young Do really is shocked now. That property is a gold mine, but it's just land, waiting for construction. It's a not quite a fortune in his book, but it _was _a worthy investment nonetheless.

"Are you crazy?!" he snaps, scratching at his brow. She doesn't lose her spirit though, Eun Sang simply crosses her arms and waits for his full attention. "What do you even need that land for?!" he barks. "You're a writer, for god's sake!" She pauses, hesitant in her resolve now.

"I told you in Brazil already," she begins. "When you asked me to marry you," she inhales the same time he exhales. They both pause watching for each other's reactions. Finding nothing promising, Eun Sang continues, drawing fingerprint patterns into the table. "I told you that I wasn't quite ready for you yet. I was a writer, a well known one too. But I didn't have anything to call my own."

"All I asked of was just you," Young Do counters, leaning forward to catch her eye. She looks up and her bottom lip trembles from the intensity in his eyes. "That's all I've ever wanted," he clarifies.

"I know," she laughs and her eyes slide shut, she sounds bitter. "But I wanted more. I wanted to be sure that if everything went wrong, I'd have something left." Tears slide down her cheeks and Young Do contains the urge to wipe them away. "I wanted a glass palace, Young Do," she murmurs, eyes still closed. "Someplace I can dream in forever, even if everything else crashes and burns." She looks at him intently, "I want a home for myself, because I'm tired of sharing and being shared." He takes a moment to process her words, before finally leaning back, understanding.

"You're damning our relationship before it's even begun," he grumbles.

"I can't help it!" she scowls, glaring at him. "I've messed up stuff like this enough times that I have to be a little cynical." He regards her anger for a moment, before nodding and taking her hand in his again.

"So you want your own home, away from everyone else, in the city of dreams. Is that correct?" he inquires, sounding businesslike. Her lips flatten into a thin and she makes an affirmative noise, certain. "Alright. Take the property. Build your house, I won't stop you."

Eun Sang smiles softly to herself looking down at their hands, "I want a place where Mom can sleep in a real bed. Where my sister's family can visit and she can be a little envious of me. Where Bo Na and Chan Young can come to dinner when they visit Europe. I want a home that makes me feel like I'm someone worth marrying into Zeus." She glances at him, wondering if he caught the last part. Of course he did. Young Do lets out a low whistle.

"All that money wasted so you could prove yourself to me, Cha Eun Sang?" he teases, his heartbeat finally steadying.

"Yah!" she yells, indignant. "It's for myself, you fool! I'm trying to be more considerate of myself now, so I don't fall into that stupid poor girl-rich guy drama cliché!"

"Alright, alright," he quickly agrees, patting her hands so she'll settle down. She huffs out a breath of air, and Young Do decides to switch topics. "So how are you going to build this house? And furnish it?"

Eun Sang laughs, a bit darkly, "Surprisingly, the cost of producing a drama or a movie out of my books are surprisingly high; especially when it comes to producing a series of books into movies." She taps her laptop, "This is the final book in the series. Then we're planning to sell the rights to the highest company, and they're going to produce a suspected billion won franchise." She catches the criticism in his expression, "I'll admit it, I did plan well enough that I have enough money to build a house after I buy the property. The furnishing may be a problem, but I'll make do when the time comes." She shrugs. Despite her insane thought process, Young Do has to admit she's not completely unaware of what she's done.

"How did you convince my customer to sell to you instead?" he asks.

She laughs, "Her daughter and she is a fan of my books, so I pulled some strings and made of couple of promises." Eun Sang waves her hand with a flourish, "And you can figure out the rest."

He smiles, watching the final rays of sunlight disappear, "You're awfully clever, Cha Eun Sang."

"Say, Choi Young Do," she says, a strange hitch in her voice. He looks at her and she seems a bit squeamish.

"Mhm?" he answers worriedly.

"Did you know," she suddenly coughs, clearing her throat. Then Young Do feels like an idiot because she's fumbling with a chain around her neck. "If we get married here, I can change my last name to yours?" She slides the chain off her neck and then lets it hit the table with an audible bang. Young Do swallows as he notices the objects hooked to the end of it. _Such an idiot, such an idiot, such an idiot._

"Um," she pauses, unsure. "You asked me to hold onto these for you until I was ready. Y-You said you'd wait for me."

"I waited," Young Do agrees. His gaze is focused on the rings at the end of her chain.

"Yes," she stalls. "You did. Um. Choi Young Do – "

"Say, Cha Eun Sang," he looks up at her at last, amused. "Are you trying to get me to change your name to Choi Eun Sang?" She blushes, but nods anyway. "Aish," he chuckles, leaning back to get a good look at her. "I should give you a prenupt with rights to your own furniture, since you're showing me so much courage." He frowns, though there's still a light in his eyes. "With the way you're blushing right now, it makes me want to add more to that prenupt for you."

"C-Choi Young Do," she stutters, interrupting him. She's determined to finish her speech. "If we're getting married, then there's only one thing I'll giving out of the love that's in my heart. Okay?" She stares intensely at him, _almost_ enough to make him flush.

"Children?" Young Do guesses, with a startling amount of seriousness. Eun Sang gasps and hits his arm. She considers him while he rubs his wound in mock pain.

"Two things then," she relents, holding up two fingers. "Children," she begins, curling down one finger. "A-And…"

"And what?" he smiles, wanting her to say it. She bits her lip, thoroughly embarrassed. He bumps his knees into hers encouragingly, and she can't help but sigh and give in.

"Myself," she smiles, lifting her head proudly at last. He takes the chain from the table and unhooks the rings. Young Do slips one his ring finger, and then beckons for her hand.

She doesn't hesitate this time.


	2. Boomerang

**A:N I've decided to expanded this fanfic and make it my collection of one-shot/AU-verse fics-but-too-short-to-be-it's-own-fic... thing. Main title will remain as my first oneshot's title, I like it too much to give it up****. Anyway, here's oneshot # 2!**

* * *

**Boomerang **

**(A Spies!AU)**

* * *

Eun Sang kind of hates the sound of bikes speeding on the road (and it's obviously not because she misses a certain bastard CEO of hers). No, it's because the wheels squeak like they're in pain and she's always waiting for the inevitable crash of metal against the sidewalk pavement. Maybe a there was blood because the driver could have impaled a bike rack, or even hit another pedestrian.

She shakes her head. She's been watching too many horror and gore movies lately. However, they hold a certain value to her now since she can admit that nights like this make her feel capable of murder. She chuckles to herself, since, well, now she _is _capable of murder.

Her bangs annoyingly bat at her eyelashes and the ends of her hair now tickle her shoulder, but she still tucks her chin into her chest. It's cold for an autumn night, and her leather jacket and black jeans aren't cutting it. Her toes curl in her combat boots as she hears the sound of the motorcycle coming to a halt by the sidewalk. Eun Sang finally concludes that in the real world, that bike crashing would have meant a whole lot trouble for her.

She adjusts the hidden earpiece and pats at her thighs, double checking that everything is in place. The driver of the motorcycle doesn't say anything, doesn't even crack a smile. He nods at her to acknowledge her presence, almost business-like. She raises a brow at him and he taps his ear over his helmet in response. Finally relaxing, Eun Sang bounds over to the man and holds her hand out for another helmet. He obliges, handing her one before turning to straddle the motorcycle again.

They both hear Chan Young wishing them good luck over the earpiece. The driver probably doesn't catch the laughter in Chan Young's, no, _Team Leader Yoon's, _voice, but it's enough to make Eun Sang shudder. Her palms start sweating from nervousness but she vows not to hold on tightly to this man as they speed away.

Rays of light are just beginning to race across the sky when they finally arrive at _Zeus Headquarters. _She feels like she's spun across the world in a haze only to come back to the same spot that she longed for after all these years. Admittedly, her heart seems to be a boomerang.

* * *

"_You sure you want to do this?" _Chan Young asks for the fifth time through their intercom. Eun Sang sighs, shifting her weight so she slides past an eighth story window on her bungee cord and lands on a ledge on the opposite side. She hoists herself up to about another five feet, huffing from all her work.

"I'm climbing a ten story building trying to get to the top, and I'm already eight stories –" she stops talking as she scrambles to grasp a abnormal, jutting mass of concrete from _Zeus_'s supposedly perfect architecture " – sorry, nine, stories high." Eun Sang catches her breath while hanging like a ragdoll, wondering if anyone's spotted her yet. "Don't you think it's too late to second guess myself?"

"_As long as you're sure," _Chan Young sighs, and she knows he's probably watching her struggling through one of the hacked security cameras. He was always smart in high school, and even more so in university, but Eun Sang never knew he could work his way around a computer.

"I'm as sure as you are about telling Lee Bo Na the truth," she jokes, finally gaining some confidence when she realizes how close her destination window is. She swings sort of recklessly and nearly plummets five stories down (the bungee cord would have caught her from there), but Chan Young quickly instructs her to reach out blindly with her hands, and she has the sill of a window in her hands soon. Eun Sang and Chan Young both curse, while she takes a peak down and feel she stomach flip. She's not scared of heights, but has the good fear in her to be nervous when hanging from a building.

"_I promise I'll tell her if you actually make it up there," _Chan Young jokes, though he sounds stricken. Eun Sang scrunches up her face in determination. Instead of answering, she quickly gets to work climbing. She can hear Chan Young sighing again from the other end. _"We're going to go out tonight to talk over dinner at my dad's house. She usually won't make a scene there." _Eun Sang makes an interested sound to urge him to continue. _"It's going to be okay for me I think. I'm leading a spy operations team for the government. I'll be totally cool in her mind now. And she'll understand that you and I were held quiet by the law. We've been looking for this international kidnapper, Jeong Taek Won, for years. This was our biggest unsolved case yet. But after this mission, we can finally be truthful in our relationships," _Eun Sang, who has now made it to her desired window, freezes at his statement.

"Yah," she says, her anger carefully controlled. "Who say's I'm getting into a relationship after this? I certainly don't remember saying anything." Chan Young, a bit out of character, snorts.

"_Don't kid yourself, Eun Sang-ah," _he's teasing her now, she's sure. _"You and Young Do have been talking for two years now over the phone. He's terribly in love with you… Again."_

"He thinks I'm in America," she deadpans, sliding herself in through the window. "He thinks I'm living a simple working life in California, living with my sister's family and my mom."

"_He knows you and Kim Tan have been broken up for almost seven years now too," _Chan Young reminds her innocently. Now it's Eun Sang's turn to scoff.

"Our relationship is still built on lies. He will never trust me after this," she reasons. Chan Young pauses, as if he's holding back information. "What?" she snaps, impatient for an explanation. Eun Sang takes a security camera out with her laser pointer and slowly makes her way to the vent at the top of the opposite wall.

"_You'll be surprised," _Chan Young answers slowly, and she knows he's already anticipating an explosion. Eun Sang steals herself, knowing she can ruin a mission of this magnitude with her temper alone. _"He has almost as much eyes and ears as we do. Young Do just rarely utilizes them. Unless…"_

"Unless?" she prompts, climbing into the vent opening and quickly scurrying through the vent, eager to get to her destination

"_He's interested," _Chan Young finishes. It sounds a bit vague, but they both know Choi Young Do well enough by now to understand the weight of those words. _"He's seen the news about the kidnapper, how our criminal takes down international, Korean-based businesses by capturing their beloved CEOs and demanding money in return. He knows he's next, but he can't do anything about it since he's so busy." _Eun Sang pauses in her crawling and sighs.

"Beloved?" she smirks in spite of what's going on.

Chan Young chuckles, _"He's got a good act. Charming, handsome, and smart, he knows how to make a deal and appeal to the common crowd. Though I have a feeling he learned how to sympathize and relate to 'commoners' from you. He's very popular, and he treats everyone fairly, which is a surprise. Everyone who's no one wants to work at Zeus now. Everyone who's someone wants to Zeus to work with them."_

"So he's not his father," Eun Sang smiles, truly happy for her old friend.

"_Yes. He's a completely different man, Eun Sang," _Chan Young agrees. They sit in contemplative silence before Eun Sang's curiosity gets the best of her.

"Well?" she prompts him again. "We have eyes and ears too. So what does our precious Sa Jang think?" Her tone is light enough that is humors Chan Young, but still angry.

"_It's hard to tell. From what I understand, that 150 IQ of his is doing him good. He's figured out your occupation before the spies working for him, they are the ones that are trying to track you as well, but everyone's convinced that you're still in America."_

"Does he believe what he's uncovered?" Eun Sang wonders, finally moving again.

"_No, he doesn't. I do make your calls and emails and texts look like they're from California. He probably knows it's rigged but it still gives him doubt in his heart. Especially since no one can pinpoint your whereabouts, considering you were originally in Korea this whole time, then Dubai just for last week and Paris the week before. And now you're back. You've literally boomeranged back to Choi Young Do and he hasn't even realized it."_

"So he's unsure," Eun Sang confirms, finally coming to an exit underneath her. She turns the blinds open, shocked at what she sees. Young Do is standing at the head of a conference table, hands up in surrender. The other investors, secretaries, and so on are on their knees hands on the table, surrounded by a group of capable, murderous men. Some hold guns, most hold knives, but regardless, they're weapons. Standing on the desk is a man that Eun Sang has only seen in pictures and in her fleeting memories, but she recognizes him well enough.

Jeong Taek Won is standing on the table with a gun aimed at Young Do.

"_Yes. But I'm sure he's suspecting something from you. You've made it obvious, you know. Five years of silence than out of the blue you call him with wonderful news, just two months after the kidnap and murder of the CEO of his competitor. Like you said, he's unsure, so he's waiting for everything to blow up in his face."_

Young Do doesn't seem scared though, if anything, he's amused. She itches to rip open the vent and save his sorry ass, then kill him herself. Chan Young drones on as she watches the scene before her, but she knows that he's been watching the conference room since she entered the building. He's not giving her a single yet, but Eun Sang is smart enough to only go when he tells her to.

At least, she thought she was smart enough.

The safety from Taek Won's gun clicks off and suddenly she is bursting through the vent, falling right on top of him. The earpiece falls forgotten in the vent, Chan Young still yelling into it. Taek Won and Eung Sang wrestle on the table before she kicks him violently away so he goes flying into one of the chairs, his gun dropped on the desk, conveniently in front of Young Do. The originally cool-under-fire CEO is now staring slack jaw at her. There's a moment of peace amongst the danger when he looks into her eyes for the first time in seven years.

"I knew it," he whispers, but he sounds like he still doesn't believe himself. She blows her bangs out of her face and smiles.

"You did," she simply agrees. Her attention goes back to Taek Won when she hears him groan and rise from the splinters of the chair, his arm shaking at her as she points a gun to him. His goons' response is immediate: aim their weapons at her. No one moves until Taek Won manages to speak.

"Kill her."

There's a deafening sound of bullets and screaming as Eun Sang ducks under the conference table with the rest of the hostages. While they stay like sitting ducks, she scurries to the door of the room. She waits for a break in the rain of bullets before running to the exit and kicking it down. The assault of bullets comes her way but she ducks and rolls, narrowly avoiding a thrown knife.

"Everyone out!" she shouts, and no one needs to be told twice. Eun Sang turns around and manages to avoid the pack of escaping hostages. She defends them from the kidnappers with all her might, and it isn't until she's got someone's blade six inches into their own abdomen that she notice that Choi Young Do is still there, flipping someone over his back.

She had forgotten about his angry side, but the sadistic part of her was excited to see him back in action.

"Yah! Choi Young Do!" She called, tossing him a knife, which he easily catches it (it takes him a moment to realize it's the same knife she just killed someone with). "Fight with this for now, I like watching you being dangerous." He smirks in spite of himself.

"Aish. Look our Cha Eun Sang," he teases as he dislocates someone's shoulder from behind then stabs them in the small of the back. "All grown up and sexy. Makes me want to impress her." He turns around in time to kick someone square in the chest (there's advantage in height sometimes) and then punch them hard in the face. Eun Sang whistles suggestively, and he turns to wink at her as she grabs the wrist of another man twists it, leaving a sickening crack to be heard. She doesn't blink and Young Do doesn't even wince she knocks the hilt of her blade into her opponent's head.

"I'm already impressed," she answers while catching a new opponent's blade with her own. Young Do tries to step in but he's immediately surrounded by three other men, and is forced to take them on. He just finishes them off in time to see Eun Sang as one henchman swings a blade from behind, aiming for her spine. He's ready to yell, but she's faster, she usually is, and Young Do hears the crack of the bullet from her gun faster than he sees the man fall.

There's silence in the midst of the pools of blood and broken furniture. Eun Sang runs forward to him suddenly, and he thinks is it's for a hug, but instead she jumps over the conference table and kicks him in the stomach, blowing the wind out him as his back slams the ground painfully. He looks up in time to hear another bullet being shot from a gun, and Eun Sang crying out in pain.

He stands up to see Eun Sang doubled over with her gun on the floor, but when he looks again its Taek Won who is dead on the ground.

"Ugh," she mutters, digging her palm into her bloody shoulder. "I'm okay, and I'm glad that's over." She hisses and falls to her knees, leaning back on the wall.

"Cha Eun Sang," he drops down with her, quickly removing his suit jacket and pressing it to her wound. She moves her hand so he can apply pressure properly, and then rests her bloody palm on top of his.

"It's good to see you one last time," she whispers, grimacing from the pain. Her eyes are bright with joy though, and he growls.

"Yah. You just said you were fine a minute ago," he argues, applying more pressure which makes her quiver. He's apologetic for moment before continuing, "Stop acting like you're dying."

Her eyes widen in shock, "You still want to see me after all this?" With her good hand, she gestures to the damage around them, the growing stench of blood. Young Do wrinkles his nose for a moment, pretending to be thinking about it before nodding.

"I have to admit this is one of the livelier meetings I've had in a while," he muses. She hits him with her good arm and then moans from the pain of moving. He snorts, taking her good shoulder and pressing it against the wall. "Stay," he orders. Young Do considers her for second before asking, "They'll take the bullet out and you'll be okay?"

She nods, "Yes. Just apply pressure so I don't lose too much blood."

"Maybe I'll make your blood run somewhere else instead," he suggets, running a finger down a cut on her cheek. He takes the ends of her short hair between his fingers, pulling at it like an elementary student. "I like this too, Cha Eun Sang. You've become more attractive since I've last seen you."

"I know right?" Eun Sang grins at him cheekily. "I can seduce anyone by batting my eyelashes." She flutters them for effect.

"Yah. You're supposed to say, 'Young Do-oppa, you've become more handsome overtime.' You're supposed to make my heart flutter," Young Do sounds sarcastic and flamboyant as he says this, and Eun Sang feels like she's in high school again.

"But you've gotten too old for me now, oppa," she jokes. He laughs and it's another thing she's missed for too long.

"Aish, look at this girl and her mouth. Makes me want to shut you up," he grins evilly, poking her forehead. She tries to bite his finger and he laughs again. "I'm really going to get revenge on you for that, Cha Eun Sang," he warns.

She looks at him carefully before answering, "So shut me up."

He pauses, seemingly conflicted before his face breaks out into a gentle smile. Then he chuckles and quickly captures her lips in his, so that her head hitting painfully back into the wall. She gasps and he pulls her closer by her waist, licking her lips. He's about to deepen the kiss when Eun Sang hisses away in pain.

"Aish, not like this and not now, Young Do," she scolds. "After this is all wrapped up you can shut me up as long you like."

"Look at you," Young Do is struggling to keep up with her, she can tell. But she can also tell that he's enjoying it, "Using my name so carelessly and giving me suggestive requests. It's like you want me to keep you around, Cha Eun Sang."

"If you say my name properly I'll stay with you," she challenges him, her dedication to him after so long shocking him.

"Really?" he sounds like a true child now, and she can't help but giggle.

"Yes, I promise."

He takes her face in his hands pulling her in so their foreheads touch, "Eun Sang."

She kisses his lips, "One more time."

"You taste like blood, by the way," he mentions casually. Young Do still kisses her back one more time before pulling away. "Eun Sang," he says again.

Chan Young bursts through the open door in time to see Eun Sang in Young Do's arms and a scarily large amount of dead men and weapons on the floor. While the police that Chan Young arrived with quickly begin cleaning and collecting, Chan Young just laughs at the couple, much to the alarm of the others in the room.

"Oh my god," he says in mockery of Bo Na's English. "Of course your love story would also be a horror story," he says to Eun Sang. She chuckles, nodding her head.

"I don't think I'd want it any other way. Except no bullet in my shoulder would be a plus." At that statement medical help is rushing towards her, and she's out Young Do's arms and with them in a minute. Young Do stands up and looks at Chan Young with a single brow raised.

Chan Young sighs, "I promise we'll both explain everything to you later."

"I figured that much," Young Do acknowledges. There's a short silence before Young Do breaks it. "I'm happy now, that she's with me."

"That's how she is," Chan Young agrees, laughing a bit. "She always going to find a way back to you."

Young Do pauses for a moment before agreeing, "My boomerang."


	3. Maturity

**A/N: This was supposed to be a married life fic but then it turned into a baby fic. Welp. Whatever.**

* * *

"**Maturity"**

* * *

"Yah, wife, if you don't get up now the pancakes are going to go soggy."

Eun Sang groaned and buried her head under the pillow, causing her husband to arch a brow at her. Her hands were protectively holding the pillow against the back of her skull, as if she suspected he might steal it. She was right; he would if he wasn't holding their one-year old daughter in one arm and a spatula in the other.

"Aish," he sighed dramatically looking at Sol Bi. "Your omma used to wake up really _early_ in the morning to catch her bus for work. Did you know that?" His daughter looked at him curiously before sticking a thumb in her mouth. She probably didn't understand completely what her dad was saying, but she did enjoy the sound of his voice. Young Do smiled gently at Sol Bi before glaring at his wife's sleeping figure in mock disgust. "She would always call me lazy because she was working all the time. From five in the morning until eight thirty, then she took another bus to school. Classes until five in the evening and then work until nine at night. Your omma worked so hard back then, and now look at her!" At that moment he kicked Eun Sang's bottom so she rolled onto her back, pillow now covering her face. Slowly, his wife's eyes appeared behind the pillow to glare at her husband.

"And what were you doing at that time?" she questioned, the answer hanging off the tip of her tongue like an arrow waiting to be shot. "Partying," she snapped finally, hugging the pillow to her chest. His wife's childish pout made Sol Bi laugh. Young Do snorted, kicking Eun Sang again in the thigh. He almost stumbled, struggling to keep balance with his daughter in hand while 'coaxing' his wife out of bed.

"Aish, do you here this women?" he asked he daughter in mock disbelief. Sol Bi, now thoroughly confused, turned her attention back to her father. "She thinks that I was always 'partying,'" Young Do explained. "But that's how you make connections in business, Sol Bi, remember that." He watched his for his daughter's reaction as he thought over his words. "Actually," he began, eyes widening in shock when he realized his error. "Don't remember that. Don't remember it until you're forty. Or don't remember it at all, that's even better. You don't need to worry about marriage and power plays and seduction and things like that ever. Don't even think about it, okay?" Young Do knocked his forehead gently into Sol Bi's to get her attention. She giggled and bumped him back, not understanding the weight of his words. Eun Sang took in Young Do's slightly panicked expression before scoffing.

"Yah. You can't just let her die alone," she reasoned, getting up to take Sol Bi out his arms. Young Do swung his hip the other way and Sol Bi suddenly latched onto her father. "Sol Bi," Eun Sang called, trying to get her daughter's attention. Sol Bi wouldn't meet her mother's eyes though, opting to bury her face in Young Do's neck.

"Maybe you smell bad," Young Do teased, wrinkling his nose for effect. "And as you can see," he continued while handing the spatula to Eun Sang and jostling Sol Bi so she was against his chest, "she loves me too much to ever let me go."

"Wait until I shower. Then we'll see whom she truly loves," Eun Sang threatened, shaking the spatula at him. He plucked it out of her grasp before motioning to the bathroom door with his chin.

"Then let's prove it," he dared.

"Fine!" she huffed. Eun Sang then stormed to the bathroom and slammed the door. Sol Bi giggled into his sweater, peeking out from under his chin to look him in the eye. "Your omma's awfully silly, isn't she?" Young Do asked, walking back to the kitchen. She nodded dutifully, as if he would punish her if she didn't agree. Young Do laughed, placing her in the high chair and ruffling her baby curls. "Aish. You're too cute for your own good," he grinned. "Got your mother's pout, which is quite a powerful trait," he warned seriously, causing the one-year old to look more upset. "No, no I didn't mean it like it's a bad thing," he corrected. "Don't be sad, Sol Bi, you're not in trouble." He scrunched up his face to make her laugh. Young Do smiled softly because of her giggling, patting her head.

He was about to tend to breakfast again, when another thought occurred.

"Though," he began, advancing back towards his daughter. She looked alarmed, and he bit back a sadistic grin at her suprised expression. "You may be in trouble with me if you don't answer this correctly." He took the applesauce from the counter and held it out to her. She reached forward to grab it, but he immediately moved it away from her range. This went on for a minute before she started whining.

"Appa," she begged, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Ah-ah," he tsked, waggling a finger at her. "No crying. All you have to do is answer this question right if you want this." He motioned to the applesauce before hiding it behind his back. Sol Bi gave him a very Eun Sang-like glare before crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, waiting impatiently for him to continue. "That's my girl," he cooed, and her stare intensified. Absentmindedly, Young Do had to admit that when she was really angry her features scarily mirrored his.

"Okay," he started. "Answer this for me, Sol Bi," he leaned forward, gaining all her attention. "Tell me the truth now," Young Do reminded. He searched her eyes but she didn't flinch under his gaze. He smiled then, gentle, but with an air of mischief underneath.

"Who do you love more, Sol Bi? Omma or appa?"

The question hung in the air, and Young Do watched excitedly for his daughter's reaction.

She didn't even blink, "Omma."

"What?!" he asked, incredulous. "Yah! Sol Bi!" Young Do demanded, poking her in the forehead. "We'll do this again, okay? Answer right this time." His daughter raised her brows at him, and then he really felt like he was looking at a reflection. "Who do you love more? Me or – "

"Omma," she finished quickly, waving her hands about for the jar of applesauce.

"You want this?" he pulled out the applesauce and pointed to it. Sol Bi gasped, reaching out uselessly for it. "Yah. You know what the right answer is now, so say it," he directed, bringing the applesauce toward her temptingly. Sol Bi cried harder, tears finally slipping down her cheeks. He imitated her whining noises sarcastically, slightly miffed by her dramatic persona. Who could she have possibly gotten all these exaggerated emotions from? Certainly not him.

"Appa is the worst!" she yelled at last, pounding her first on the table and pouting. Young Do stopped in his tracks.

"Am I really?" he questioned, shocked. She glared at him silently before finally relaxing.

"No," Sol Bi relented, staring down at her table. She fumbled around with her fingers before looking up at Young Do. She blushed under his growing smile and mumbled: "I love appa."

"More than, Omma, right?" he confirmed, feeling his heartbeat stutter. Sol Bi was as pretty as her mother when she blushed.

"No!" she huffed, re-crossing her arms again. "Omma is the best. But I love appa too."

"I love Sol Bi too," Young Do's eyes softened, leaning forward to kiss her hair. She laughed when his stubble tickled her nose. He chuckled, kissing her forehead and the both cheeks, baring his teeth when he got to her chin. Sol Bi shrieked in delight, swatting her dad to make him stop. He pulled away, and she rubbed both her cheeks as if he left a lipstick stain on them. Young Do glanced at the hallway when he heard the water from the shower stop. Eun Sang would be getting back out soon. He should start setting up the plates and –

"Appa," Sol Bi pulled at his hands for his attention.

"Mhm?"

"Can I eat now?"

"Oh, you mean this?" he remembered, lifting the applesauce up to her eyelevel. She nodded enthusiastically, but Young Do sighed instead.

"Sorry Sol Bi, you never gave me the corrected answer," he replied in a teasing manner. He shook his head and slowly walked over to the cabinets, placing the applesauce back in its proper place. He took exaggerated steps back towards her, as if he'd come from a funeral. "I suppose you're not having breakfast today then," he stated solemnly. By the end of his show, Sol Bi was crying again.

"I lied! I hate you appa! I hate you! You're the worst! The worst!" she shrieked, banging her fists.

"No you're the worst Sol Bi! You don't love me enough!" he yelled back, slamming his own fists on the countertop. Despite her tantrum, Sol Bi was laughing at her father. She always loved when her parents acted immature.

"You're crazy appa, you're crazy!" she yelled back, but she was almost smiling at that point.

"Yah!" Eun Sang came running (slipping) in with her glorious towel-clad body, dripping water everywhere. "What's going on?! Are you both crazy?! What are you both shouting for?!"

"Omma!" Sol Bi cried, her smile disappearing into a distraught expression. "Appa hates me. He said I can't eat!"

"Yah, Sol Bi, you liar, I never said – " Young Do called her out, but was cut off by Eun Sang.

"Choi Young Do!" she scolded. "Are you my second child? I know I only gave birth to one. What do you think you're doing, starving children?!"

"Eun Sang," he tried to reason. She hissed at him, stalking towards the cabinet.

"I'll feed my baby, since I can't trust her crazy father to do anything productive," she snapped, opening the applesauce jar and handing it to Sol Bi along with a spoon. Her posture immediately relaxed as she kissed her daughters forehead. "There you go, Sol Bi. Eat up," she cooed, before glaring at Young Do again.

"Seriously, I'm not a mother of two, Young Do. Stop trying to make me one," she finished, stalking back into the bedroom. Young Do smirked in spite of the situation.

"I'll never stop trying, if that's what you're suggesting," he called back in a crude tone. Too late, Eun Sang yelled something to the effect of "No, not like that you pervert!" through the closed door.

Behind him, Sol Bi giggled. He turned, finding her face and hands covered in applesauce.

"Aish! Sol Bi, look at you!" Young Do scolded, reaching for a towel. He wiped her face then held her chin in his hand, "Yah. Sol Bi. You planned that, didn't you? You think you're smart, huh?"

Pleased, Sol Bi nodded, "Eum." He was a bit disturbed to find that she smirked with one side of her mouth lifted up crookedly, just like him.

Regardless, Young Do still chuckled despite his loss to a child. He really didn't mind the taste of his own cleverness.

Not when it came with Eun Sang's pout, and Sol Bi's own, original smile.


	4. Support

**A/N: More baby!fics because I have no control over my life. This is set before "Maturity." Young Do as a nervous father makes my insides melt. Hopefully he woos you with his spastic charm too ^^ Enjoy~!**

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**Support**

* * *

Young Do didn't hold his own daughter by himself until almost two months after they leave the hospital. He never found the time to, as ridiculous as it sounds. The expected moment would obviously be right after she was born, but all Young Do remembered was that Sol Bi couldn't cry and doctors had been yelling about Eun Sang's increasing amount of blood loss. Young Do (for the first time in his life) fainted from the shock, right there in the delivery room.

After that messy ordeal, he remembers being grateful to the point where he actually cried. Because when woke up, a nurse was teaching Eun Sang how to breastfeed Sol Bi and they were _okay. _Young Do had gotten up to hold his Sol Bi but his arms were shaking and Eun Sang gently suggested they wait until his nerves calmed down. He agreed, but by the time his fingers stopped quivering, Hee Nam had broken through the door and demanded she see her daughter and her granddaughter. Kyung Ran had followed after her and then quietly took possession over Sol Bi after Hee Nam finished gushing over the newborn. Neither Young Do nor Eun Sang had it in their hearts to take Sol Bi away from Kyung Ran at that point.

Sol Bi was born prematurely at five and a half pounds, a little too underweight for the doctor's approval. Her heart wasn't that strong, her lungs were underdeveloped, and her skin was slightly jaundiced. Thankfully, her mental health was normal. With her early delivery came a set of weary medical personal that made quite the schedule for Sol Bi: feeding, playtime (Young Do nicknamed it "show time" because of all the visitors), feeding, check up, feeding, and then to a special nursery where she could be monitored for the night. Eun Sang had joked that Sol Bi's life was as busy as Young Do's. Therefore, the hands that cradled Sol Bi for the first two weeks went like this: Eun Sang, a doctor, a nurse, and their mothers.

Eun Sang was often left alone in the hospital, Young Do only remembers coming in with Myung Soo or Bo Na and Chan Young on the days he didn't work late, which were few.

When Sol Bi and Eun Sang were finally discharged from the hospital, Young Do regretfully was forced to attend a business meeting in Hong Kong. _Zeus _was still in the process of rebuilding its empire, and despite the fact he hated to leave his family, Eun Sang and his mother had agreed that it was appropriate for him to go now that the crisis of Sol Bi's delivery was over.

In a childish sort of way (which was terrible of him considering he's _a father _now), Young Do blamed the next week and half of not being able to hold his daughter on Eun Sang. His clever wife loved Sol Bi too much to even let him touch the newborn, no wonder she sent him away, she got Sol Bi all to herself.

xXx

The business trip had been good for the company and absolutely terrible for him.

While Young Do had easily secured a partnership with a Chinese-based company for _Zeus_'s expansion in Hong Kong, he also had the displeasure to run into _Zeus's_ Chinese ambassador: his father. Dong Wook had been bitter since he was exiled to China by the new CEO of _Zeus_, his son. While the encounter had been brief, it left Young Do feeling nauseous every time he thought about it.

"So you've spawned an heir for the company already?" his voice was still as cold and indifferent as ever, but Young Do could see the curiosity in his eyes. It felt odd; his father had never been interested in his personal life before.

"I'm just preparing for the future, father. I can't just give you something I've worked so hard to take from you," he attempted to give Dong Wook a cheeky grin, but bile was rising in his throat. He didn't like playing this game anymore, not when the stakes were his _family. _Dong Wook, however, didn't retaliate with a threat or a smack to the head. Instead he let out a dark laugh, which made Young Do's skin crawl. Maybe his father's time away from Seoul had gotten to his brain.

"I'm just surprised. You being a father seems like some cruel joke. Maybe it's the burden that girl must deal with for marrying you in the first place," Dong Wook was still laughing, clutching the edge of a desk for balance. Young Do swallowed, trying to stop the red from blurring his vision. "Well maybe she was asking for it. Someone of her status having the nerve to tame the dragon in the first – "

Young Do didn't even think straight, he just swung blindly at his father's mocking face. Dong Wook wasn't as old as he seemed, apparently, as he easily grabbed his son's wrist and threw him on the floor. The personal in the room ran to hold back Dong Wook, attempting to drag him out of the room. Young Do's personal secretary hauled him up by the waist, so he could look his father in his eyes before Dong Wook was taken from the room.

"I'll never be like you!" Young Do spat, attempting to break free from his secretary only to realize that the purpose of lifting him was to restrain him as well, not to help him. He went limp in the secretary's arms, breathing in deeply. Dong Wook broke his calm with another chuckle.

"Not with that kind of swing. How do you expect to control a child when you can't even hit straight?" The door slammed before Young Do could even retaliate, and then the room was left in a tense silence. Everyone there was watching him carefully, in fear. Young Do took another deep breath and shrugged off his secretary's grip. He caught his reflection in a mirror: his face was livid. He looked like an animal. And he hated it.

Straightening his hair, Young Do calmly asked, "What time is our next meeting?"

Sighs of relief were collectively released, and he tried not to feel exasperated. Young Do knew he carried the ghost of his father's era with him, he understood his temper sometimes reminded his coworkers of their former boss. But he was wiser than Dong Wook, and he had something that his father could only dream of.

Young Do followed his team out to the parking lot, and tried to remember the sound of Eun Sang's pure laughter.

xXx

When he arrived home at the Incheon airport, Kyung Ran had greeted him in place of Eun Sang and Sol Bi. Young Do tried to remain upbeat, kissing his mother and teasing her about her dark circles. Inside, he felt panic rising up in his gut. His mother luckily wasn't fooled by her son's antics; she patted Young Do's arm and then took hold of his hand.

"Sol Bi would get sick easily in this weather," Kyung Ran reasoned, gesturing to the frost covered windows while leading him outside. A gust of frozen air hit Young Do right in the face and reminded him of why Eun Sang hated Korean winters. Late nights like these always made Eun Sang especially bitter. He peered at his watch, surprised to find it was already midnight. "Sol Bi already has a small cold," Kyung Ran informed, shocking Young Do out of his thoughts. "It's alright," Kyung Ran explained, leading him to the car, "she's recovering right now, but she's still as small as when you first saw her. So it's safer to keep her inside."

"And Eun Sang?" Young Do asked worriedly. Kyung Ran smiled at his concern, sliding into the back seat as her son held the car door open for her. She waited until the driver and he climbed into their seats in the front. "She's fine. A little restless being all alone with Sol Bi, but Hee Nam and I have been spending the last two days with them." Young Do nodded, thrumming his fingers on his legs restlessly. Kyung Ran reached over to pat his shoulder, "Young Do. Don't worry so much, you'll get wrinkles in your forehead." The driver tried to mask his amusement at that statement, but Young Do noticed the secret smile the man shared with his mother. The car exited the parking lot and began speeding down street.

"I can't help worrying," Young Do pouted, allowing himself to be immature considering he was only talking to his mother. "They're my family," he added, a bit more soberly, while glancing out the window.

"They are," Kyung Ran agreed, smiling more to herself now. "But Eun Sang is a very good mom. She's nurturing and sweet, and very patient. You'll be impressed when you see her."

This time Young Do laughed, "She always impresses me."

xXx

His mother was right, Sol Bi still seemed too small to be real, but with his absence her cradle cap ("cradle crap" according to him) had disappeared and a tuft of black hair now covered her head. Eun Sang looked exhausted but content with her daughter finally sleeping on her chest.

"I wanted her to stay awake to see you, but she has her own sleeping patterns," Eun Sang explained. Young Do kissed her before sliding next her on the couch. He held out his arms for Eun Sang to hand over Sol Bi, but their exchange was interrupted by Hee Nam insistently tapping on the coffee table.

_We just put her to sleep. This is the only time she'll sleep for more than two hours! _Hee Nam signed, gesturing to the clock on the wall. Eun Sang sighed again, pulling Sol Bi back into her chest.

"She right," Eun Sang apologized. "Sol Bi's a light sleeper. She'll wake up the minute she's moved."

Kyung Ran finally came into the living room, dropping a tray of tea-filled cups on the table before sliding up to the armrest next to Young Do. She wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders, kissing his cheek.

"Just wait until morning, Young Do. You have the rest of your life to hold her," she reminded him. Young Do relaxed in his mother's arms, finally feeling the expense of his trip weighing on his body.

_You should sleep. _Hee Nam insisted, and Eun Sang nodded in agreement.

"You need rest," Eun Sang confirmed. Young Do offhandedly wondered if this was part of his wife's scheme to keep Sol Bi to herself. Eun Sang glanced down at Sol Bi's unconscious form before sharing a smirk with Kyung Ran over Young Do's shoulder. "Besides, you'll see the true form of Sol Bi when she wakes up."

"True form?" Young Do raised a brow in disbelief. Eun Sang smiled fondly at him.

"She's a sleeping dragon right now," she answered cryptically, which sent an unintentional shiver down Young Do's spine.

"She's a menace when she wakes up," Kyung Ran grinned pulling on Young Do's cheek. "Just like her father." The women all laughed quietly (for Sol Bi's sake) at his expense, and Young Do hoped that his next child would be a boy, just to balance out all the estrogen.

xXx

He was going to hold Sol Bi when he woke up to her crying the next morning. Eun Sang, in her sleep stupor sent him to the nursery to go take care of their distressed child, but upon stumbling into the room, he realized something horrific.

Young Do had no idea how to even hold a baby.

He raced to Hee Nam's bedroom in a panic, running in and shaking her awake. Hee Nam had never seen her son-in-law so disconcerted, so she followed him to the nursery, no questions asked. By the time they came to the nursery, a sleep-deprived Eun Sang had Sol Bi in her arms, cursing to herself.

"W-What's wrong with her?" Young Do stuttered, following Eun Sang to the kitchen. Hee Nam, who had been convinced there was no immediate danger, had stalked back to her bedroom in search of some rest.

"I knew I forgot something before going to bed," Eun Sang groaned, cleaning the end of a rectal thermometer with petroleum jelly. She pointed to the still crying Sol Bi with her chin. "Take her and undress her from the bottom," she ordered.

"What's wrong with her?!" Young Do repeated, loud enough so he could be heard over Sol Bi's wails. He did as she asked, placing her on the kitchen counter and undressing her. Eun Sang glared at him as she opened the medicine cabinet. She groaned again before slamming it closed.

"I forgot to give her the last bout of medicine. Was the window open in the nursery too? I thought I told you to close it before I put her to bed."

"She seemed too warm," Young Do reasoned, even though in reality he had forgotten.

"She was sick. Of course she'd still be warm," Eun Sang eyed him critically. Young Do squirmed under her gaze, still holding Sol Bi's bare ankles in his hand.

"Fine, I forgot," Young Do confessed, distraught as he held Sol Bi down by her stomach with his other hand. "But you have to give me some credit because I've been gone for – "

"Never mind," Eun Sang waved off his excuse. "Just hold her feet tightly, don't let her move too much." She reached around his arm to position the thermometer correctly.

"Why do you have to take temperatures like that?" Young Do asked, wincing when Sol Bi's cries escalated from the intrusion of the thermometer.

"That's how you do it for babies. Don't ask me why," Eun Sang shook her head. They waited a moment before Eun Sang carefully pulled out the thermometer. Young Do was still struggling to pack Sol Bi into her clothes when Eun Sang finished checking the temperature and cleaning the thermometer.

"I'll do it," she snapped, sounding annoyed, but mostly tired. He looked over to raise a brow at her, silently questioning her about the temperature reading. "No it's not normal," Eun Sang replied when she caught the worried expression on his face. "It's almost thirty-nine degrees Celsius. Her fever has come back. Young Do, call the doctor for a new round of medication, I'll feed Sol Bi." Eun Sang marched back to the nursery, leaving Young Do with a phone and a medical emergency card in hand.

He had never felt so useless.

xXx

"She likes women better, it's not your fault," Eun Sang rubbed his shoulders comfortingly as Kyung Ran tried to console a screaming Sol Bi. Young Do let out an exasperated sigh, lying back into her chest. They were on one side of the couch, a short distance away from his mother and Sol Bi, who were facing them on the opposite side. Three days of medication and careful care, Sol Bi's fever had disappeared, much to the relief of the adults in the house. Young Do opted to work from home since arriving back in Korea, though his secretary had informed him he'd only be allowed to do so for another week.

Sol Bi, throughout her fever, and after, had refused to come near him. She had a permanent attachment to Eun Sang, only going to Kyung Ran or Hee Nam when absolutely necessary. Young Do didn't want to bother Sol Bi when she was sick, so he usually excused himself to his study, where he would work tirelessly. He didn't want admit to the fact that his own _daughter_ had rejected him.

The women in the house could tell he was troubled, though, so one day Eun Sang practically dragged him out of his study, only to drop him on the couch where Kyung Ran was already situated with Sol Bi on her lap. They managed to get Sol Bi in his arms for roughly two seconds before she started crying.

"I'm sure she'll come around to you, Young Do," Kyung Ran nodded, distracted with calming Sol Bi down. The baby quieted down soon enough, but her bright eyes were still on Young Do.

"She's looking at me as if I'm a criminal," Young Do argued, his voice loud enough to make everyone wince. Sol Bi, strangely enough, didn't cry when he was at a distance. She just watched him curiously, a nervous herself.

Hee Nam then entered with a tray of snacks, placing them on the table before taking in the scene before her. Eun Sang smiled sadly at her mother.

"Sol Bi's still adjusting to the big scary man in our house," she tried to make light on the situation but no one laughed. Hee Nam analyzed Young Do's defeated figure before gesturing to his hands.

_Are you holding her right? _She signed. A little irritated at this point, Young Do made a cradle with his arms, pretending to coo at an imaginary baby in his arms. Eun Sang hit his arm for his idiotic scene while his mother sent him a disapproving look. Sol Bi was still watching him with a certain amount of concentration he had never seen in her. Indignantly, he matched Hee Nam's critical look with his own.

"I think I've perfect this position by now," he drawled, feeling only a little regretful for his rude tone. Hee Nam's eyebrows rose, and he could read the sarcasm from her face.

_Ah, yes. Forgive me for correcting you now, then. _She signed quickly before adjusting his arms with her strong, capable hands. Her strength always shocked him, despite the fact Young Do knew not to ever underestimate the women of the Cha family. Hee Nam set his arm up so he could rest Sol Bi on his chest when the time came.

_Young Do, _she patted his shoulder for his attention. _With a child as small as Sol Bi, you cannot just hold her. You have to support her. _She nodded to Kyung Ran, who was quick to drop the quiet Sol Bi into his arms. He immediately caught her bottom in one arm, securing his grip with a hand against her back. His other hand was against her head, holding it to his shoulder.

"Loosen up," Eun Sang indicated, tapping the hand that was against Sol Bi's head. "She can hold her own head up."

_You still have to support the rest of her body. _Hee Nam reminded, eyeing the arm that was holding Sol Bi's back in place. Sol Bi still hadn't made a noise; instead she was resting her head on Young Do's shoulder, looking up at him with the same curious gaze he sometimes caught Eun Sang with.

"I think she's getting used to the scary man now," Eun Sang teased, kissing Sol Bi's forehead. Sol Bi's nose crinkled when her mother's hair tickled her face, and Young Do felt the air leave his lungs. His hands began to shake, causing Sol Bi to whimper. "Aish, don't cry now Sol Bi. It's okay. Omma _and Appa _are here now," Eun Sang insisted. Young Do tried to swallow the lump in his throat, slowly leaning away from Eun Sang to hand Sol Bi back to Kyung Ran. Hee Nam intercepted him, steadily placing her hands on his own, pushing him back to Eun Sang. He obeyed, confused and looking up at her for an explanation. His arms were still quivering as Hee Nam tried to control his movements. Sol Bi looked ready to scream.

_The support. _Hee Nam signed with one hand, her face stern and commanding. _That's what you are to Sol Bi. You will support her, no matter what, for the rest of her life. It's what you must do. _She paused, slightly unsure to continue, but Hee Nam recognized the desperation in Young Do's eyes. _You're __**her**__ father now, _she finally signed, releasing his hands. Young Do finally exhaled the air he didn't realize he was holding. He was determined now. He didn't shudder.

"Yah, Sol Bi," he called, demanding his daughter's attention when he pulled her away from his chest. He held her upright by just her underarms, and she looked back at him with tear-filled eyes. "What are you crying for? Didn't you here your omma? We're both here for you now." Sol Bi whimpered and reached for Young Do with a longing that he thought he'd never see in her. Young Do quickly pulled her back to his chest, overcome with emotion from her expression. "Yah. What's with that face? You're acting too cute for your own good," he muttered.

Behind him, Eun Sang's chest rumbled with laughter, and he felt her shift to reach for a pacifier. Sol Bi settled down completely once her mom gave her that god-given creation. Sol Bi cuddled into her father's chest, content to gaze back at him, while Young Do stroked her face.

"Aish, you're awfully small, Sol Bi. Will you ever grow?" Young Do pinched her cheek playfully, causing Sol Bi to smile shyly around the pacifier.

"Ah, I've never seen her smile like that before," Eun Sang gasped, combing Sol Bi's hair out her face. Young Do felt Kyung Ran's gaze on him and looked up to face her watery smile.

"What?" he asked softly.

"Ah, it's just – " Kyung Ran stopped to wipe her eyes with the tissue Hee Nam handed her. "I think I understand now. I think I know why you were so nervous before."

"Oh?" he gently urged her to continue. Kyung Ran took deep breath.

"Hong Kong must have not been kind to you," she replied, cluing in Hee Nam and Eun Sang. Eun Sang's arms, which were now circled around his waist, tightened in anticipation. Hee Nam sighed and sat on the opposite couch, waiting patiently. Kyung Ran smiled then, surprising everyone.

"Despite have a bad experience," she continued, her voice holding more importance that necessary for a conversation _just_ about a business trip. "My son has grown up to be quite caring and protective. He's also patient when he needs to be, and kind to those he loves. He's very strong too, stronger than I could have imagined." She reached over to wipe a stay tear from her son's cheek. "You're already a better father, Young Do."

"Aish, Omma," he whined, blinking away tears. He glanced at Eun Sang, who was wiping away tears of her own. "Yah. Choi Eun Sang. We're going to need another boy in this house. All these women here are making me all weepy and emotional." Eun Sang and Kyung Ran laughed, waking up a drowsy Sol Bi. Hee Nam suddenly tapped the coffee table for everyone's attention. She waited until they all stopped giggling to deliver the punch line.

_He's just trying to bed you again, Eun Sang._

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**End Note: I actually got this idea from my dad's experience. When I was a newborn he worked a lot, so my mom took care of me while I went through all those "premature kid" problems. God bless her. My dad pitched in faster than Young Do did in this story, but the emotional toll is similar, I think.**


	5. FTGU: Drabbles 1

**I split this up into drabbles because I couldn't connect the dots between the prompts to make an in-depth fic. I had an Honors/Inter. Physics exam today and all I want is for my brain to melt into my stomach. So this is mostly stress-relieving writing. Sorry if it sucks.**

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_Winter_

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Eun Sang hates the snow and Young Do knows this by the way her nose scrunches up whenever a snowflake has the nerve to fall on her face. She likes staying indoors during the cold months because she knows what it's like for money to run out to pay the utility bills. Young Do knows she's never properly enjoyed the holiday season the way he has: with elaborate gifts, expensive parties, and the occasional midnight kiss.

If you give her the chance, she'll explain in great detail how she catered for such events, worked late nights, and if you're lucky: she'll tell you about the time she took down three drunken men in a fist fight. It's the only story from her past that Young Do's heard her share with any enthusiasm.

So when Sol Bi decides to be especially demanding, decides to _drag _her mother out in the snow, Eun Sang's not exactly pleased. But there's only so much resistance you can have against a five year old. Eun Sang secures a hat on her daughter's head before sliding on a coat. She's just about to put on her muffler when Sol Bi darts out the open door, falling face first into the snow.

"Sol Bi! Wait for Omma!" Eun Sang yells, chasing after her daughter while still tying her muffler close to her neck. Sol Bi pulls her face out to the snow in time to see her mother charging after her. She misunderstands, as five year olds often do, and shrieks in delight while running away from her mother. Sol Bi assumes it's a game; one Eun Sang's _really_ not willing to play.

"Omma! Omma! Catch me if you can!" Sol Bi teases, sticking her tongue out and dodging Eun Sang's pitiful attempt to catch her daughter. Now it's Eun Sang's turn to become acquainted with the snow, as Sol Bi packs a small snowball and throws it straight for the back of her mother's head.

"Yah! Sol Bi, you really are bad! Just like your father!" Eun Sang admonishes as she's covered in snow, but she's ruining her disapproving look with her own giggling. Sol Bi laughs, running off again.

"Catch me, Omma! Catch me!" she shouts, and this time Eun Sang obeys, getting to her feet and pretending to chase after her daughter.

From the window, Young Do watches while placing a tray of hot chocolates on the table. Hee Nam picks up a mug and smiles contently around the rim when she catches Young Do's puzzled expression. She taps his wrist for his attention, then signs to ask him what he's thinking about.

"Ah," Young Do sighs, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's just –" he lifts his eyes back to the window, where Eun Sang has successfully captured Sol Bi in a tight hug. She's twirling her daughter around now, and eventually falls on her back from the motion. "Eun Sang hates winter?" he states, but it comes out of his mouth like a question.

_Perhaps it's because of her past dealings with the season? _Hee Nam suggests innocently. He can almost read the sarcasm from her face

Young Do chuckles, feeling foolish, "You're right." He smiles gently, a certain type of softness in his expression that's so rare even Eun Sang hardly sees it. "I suppose now she can make happier memories in this season," he says while tapping the glass so Hee Nam turns her attention back to the mother-daughter pair. They watch the scene unfold for a couple of minutes before Young Do abruptly gets up, cursing.

_What is it? _Hee Nam asks, slightly alarmed.

"Aish. That careless wife of mine forgot to take gloves," he explains, nodding to the window while donning his coat and scarf. Sure enough, Sol Bi is covering her mother's hands with her own (gloved) hands, trying to blow warmth into them. "I'll be right back, mother," Young Do calls while grabbing two pairs of gloves from the counter.

Outside, Eun Sang watches Sol Bi build a snowman while attempting to blow warm air onto her hands. They've turned red now, and she aimlessly wonders how long it will take for them to turn blue. She's pleasantly surprised when Young Do grabs her from behind, his taller frame curving around her smaller one. His head drops to her shoulder as he takes her hands in his, enveloping them in his gloved ones.

"Are you stupid?" he sounds annoyed, but still kisses her cheek affectionately. "If you go someplace you don't like you should still be suited up properly so you don't have to suffer."

"Sorry," she apologizes, reaching behind her back to seek out his coat pocket.

"Yah. Choi Eun Sang. Are you being so bold in public? Your mother is watching from the window."

"Shut up," Eun Sang snaps, finally finding the spare gloves in his pocket. She breaks away from his hold to face him, pulling on the gloves in relief. "You always think perversely."

"It's my natural behavior around pretty women," Young Do counters, making her laugh. He leans in to give her a kiss when a snowball hits him smack in the face.

Young Do takes three deep breaths before wiping the substance off his face. His bangs are beginning to come apart from his coif. Eun Sang watches him in amusement, she knows he's angry, but his wrath is useless against his own child.

"Yah. Sol Bi," he begins, enunciating her name very carefully, staring at the sky. Young Do turns on his heels to face her then, raising a brow. He seems perfectly composed, which is usually what happens before all hell breaks loose. But Sol Bi isn't a victim and Young Do's no longer a bully. In fact, Sol Bi knows how to play her father's games better than he does.

With an incredible amount of accuracy, Sol Bi mimics his stoic expression, causing Eun Sang to laugh again. Young Do notices the resemblance between him and his daughter, and tries not to let it bother him. He's admittedly scared of her, as idiotic as it sounds. In spite of his fear, he carries on his reprimanding, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Sol Bi," he demands for her attention again. She lifts her brow higher to let him know she's listening, but doesn't give him any other indication. Eun Sang hides a smile behind her now-gloved hand. "You did something very bad, and it's my job to as your Appa to punish you. So now we're going to stop this nonsense and go inside for –"

He's cut off by Eun Sang's gasping, who, by the time he turns around, has water dripping down her face. He whips around to stare at his daughter, who is now openly cackling at them both. He turns back to a shivering Eun Sang, and they lock eyes with each other with dread building up in their guts.

Young Do is the one to voice their fears: "She's my kid, through in through."

* * *

_Married_

* * *

They don't like the idea of possession.

Young Do learned at a young age that life can be treated like a big game. And while he was the king of his own chess board, toying with the white pawns on the opposite end of the board, his father was the true king of _Zeus. _Young Do was the black knight of that game, a little hard to maneuver, but extremely powerful if guided by a skilled hand. His father's hand. The realization that he was owned by someone always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Eun Sang always knew she would be held bound by someone or something: her mother, her teachers, her bosses. She didn't, however, expect to be owned by a bunch of scheming, childish, chaebols; but that was unfortunately (or fortunately) the case. She was used to being a pawn by the time she agreed to marry Young Do. She was used being a sacrificial lamb for a greater purpose. She was never the prize: the King. She was meant to die before the game had even begun, she was always aware of her fate.

Yet waking up next to Young DO's sleeping figure in the mornings left her feeling like a queen. She felt protective of this king, who gave her something she always found more valuable than any riches he could offer her: his heart. She felt powerful when he was strong and defensive of him when he was weak.

In the early hours of the day, Young Do had a habit of ending up on his stomach, his arms above his head to hold the pillow close to his cheek. His fringe always fell across his eyes, making Eun Sang wonder if it tickled him in his sleep. Her favorite thing to do was to cover his bare back with her own, even though she can't quite envelop him with her smaller body. Sometimes he'll wake up at that moment, and sometimes he'll wake up when she begins to trail kisses down his spine.

This is the morning where he catches her in the act _right_ when she places the first kiss at the base of his neck. He turns over quickly, pulling her along so she falls across his chest. His arm wrap around her shoulders to keep her there, even though she's quite flustered now. He doesn't bother to say anything to alleviate her embarrassment, Young Do simply holds up his hand so she can intertwine her fingers with his.

She does, and they watch as the morning light reflects off the wedding ring on her finger. It's at that moment Eun Sang feels the coolness of his ring against her arm, and she wonders why this commitment doesn't feel so burdensome to her.

"I love you," Young Do murmurs, quiet enough that it could be as if he never spoken. He doesn't say it often, but when he does her heart feels as if it's going to race right out of her chest. Eun Sang exhales, finding her answer as she kisses the underside of his jaw.

She wants to protect this side of him, the vulnerable part of him that only comes out when the sun rises. She wants to be the queen of his chessboard, and she wants him to be the king of hers.

They're going to play this game together now.

* * *

_Pregnant_

* * *

"She's absolutely insane, Myung Soo," Young Do hisses into his cell phone, glancing nervously behind him to make sure no one was listening to him. "Last night, at perhaps, _three in the morning, _she got up and started packing. She wouldn't even tell me why. I thought she was going into early labor!" He waves his hands in exasperation before bringing them back to his sides, realizing that _he's on the phone. _

Myung Soo snorts, "She's still got almost a month left. Why would she give birth?"

"Those things can happen, you idiot!" Young Do snaps, feeling a migraine beginning to form at the base of his skull.

"Ah, I suppose they can," Myung Soo agrees, and Young Do can tell he's pondering over the subject a bit too much. Suddenly, Myung Soo lets out a breath of air. "Aish, you and I should have escaped to Paris when we had the chance," he says dramatically, and Young Do can imagine Myung Soo fanning himself. "So what was she actually packing for?" Myung Soo wonders. Young Do grimaces, taking in his surroundings and then getting up to check the couch.

"She couldn't sleep in our bed anymore. She made us move back to the penthouse," he informs his best friend while checking that his very pregnant wife was still, in fact, asleep.

"Did you tell her the mattress at home is the same brand as the ones in the hotel?" Myung Soo laughs, reminding Young Do how useless it was to call a guy like him. He was better off with Chan Young, at least the nerd could sympathize with him (a pregnant Bo Na must have been a nightmare).

"You know she never listens to me," Young Do groans over the receiver. He groans again when there's a knock at the door. He's too tired from dealing with his wife to deal with anyone else right now. "Yah. I have to go now. I think my secretary is here." Young Do hangs up without saying goodbye, but he does catch the "I love you, oppa!" from Myung Soo. That moron. With all the commotion, Eun Sang finally wakes up, blinking sleep out of her eyes and simultaneously giving Young Do a scrutinizing glare, despite her drowsy state.

"Who is it?" Eun Sang asks, her voice laced with acid. She was never fond of being disturbed from naps, and her pregnancy made that mood swing more prevalent.

"I don't know, Secretary Jeong, probably," Young Do admits, backing up slowly to the door. He keeps his eyes on her until he unlocks the front door. Seriously, it's like he's living with a dangerous animal. Secretary Jeong, whose expressions implies he just saw a ghost, mutely hands Young Do a stack of forms.

"What's this?" Young Do questions, though judging by the secretary's shell-shocked state, the man wasn't going to get an answer. Young Do skims the forms before almost dropping them. "Seriously?" he hisses at Secretary Jeong, who just nodded dumbly.

"What is it?" Eun Sang snaps, forcing herself off the couch and waddling over to them. She rips the forms from Young Do and read them for herself. This time the forms really do hit the floor. Young Do swallows, already covering his ears in anticipation. Secretary Jeong isn't so insightful.

"BIGBANG is here?!" she screeches, shocking the poor old man into yelling out a high pitched: "Yes!" Suddenly, she grabs Young Do by the shoulders, shaking him in excitement.

"Yah. Young Do. You here that?! BIGBANG is staying at your hotel!" she was gasping from exerting so much energy, practically hanging off of him at this point. He balances her by her shoulders, quickly nodding to the secretary so he could leave. Secretary Jeong did not have to be told twice.

"I read it first, wife. I know," he replies calmly, trying to channel that peace into her. She wasn't being very cooperative though, as usual.

"Yah! Young Do! You have to greet them yourself. You have to! And you have to take me with you!" Eun Sang began shaking him again with renewed strength. Young Do was nervous she would collapse from her bouts of ecstasy right there on the floor.

"What's this obsession with BIGBANG? They're just a silly boy band," Young Do scoffs, pulling his collar away from his neck to get some fresh air. Eun Sang presses up against him (or as much as she can with her stomach in the way), bringing her pout just under his chin. He vows not to look at her until she answers him. Finally, she gives in.

"It's not so much BIGBANG," she starts to admit, backing away from him to wring out her hands anxiously. "It has more to do with G Dragon," she whispers, seemingly self-conscious. Young Do pauses, before nodding in understanding. He remembers the posters from her college apartment.

"Alright," he relents, because she's Eun Sang and she's _pregnant _and _crazy_. "We can go see them." She starts to jump up and down in glee before he catches her by her shoulders again. "Wait!" he demands, holding up a finger. "One rule, Eun Sang. You have to stay –" he indicates an arm's length with his own arm, "– this far away from G Dragon. I'm not having some rich pop star run away with my wife." Eun Sang's eyes sparkle with mischief.

"Yah, Choi Young Do. Are you jealous?" she teases. He scowls at her smug expression.

"If you keep it up with that face, I'll not only kick BIGBANG out of this hotel, but I'll make sure G Dragon's pretty face goes to waste as well," he snarls, attempting to sound threatening. Eun Sang simply laughs, kissing him sound on the lips.

"You're awfully foolish, Young Do," she grins, biting his lip for good measure. "You've managed to get a ring on my finger and convinced me to carry your demon spawn. I don't think there's any other way to put me off limits." He smiles affectionately at her then, letting Eun Sang kiss him one more time before he opens the door her.

"Lead the way then, Choi Eun Sang," he gestures with a smirk. She smiles back, and but he doesn't like the way her eyes have grown dark. "What?" he prods, sensing another bombshell.

"I'm just," she starts, quickening her pace so that way she's a good ten steps ahead of him when she finishes her statement "I'm just so excited to see my oppa." Eun Sang disappears into the elevator with Young Do scrambling behind her, seething.

"Yah! Who's your oppa?!"

* * *

_Fight_

* * *

_I'm not Kim Tan_. Young Do repeats that over and over to himself as he wanders around drunkenly through the streets of Rio. His face has swollen up on one side and he can still taste the blood in his mouth. He doesn't have to look in a mirror to see a black eye forming on the opposite side. Young Do's knuckles are split open and dripping blood onto his jeans.

_I'm not Kim Tan. _He tries this phrase again, but when he catches his reflection in a glass window, his heart sinks. He may not be Kim Tan, but he definitely understands his former best friend better now. He understands why Tan would want to give up his life after Eun Sang had left. He understands why it took Tan years to get back up and search for love again. _The light just fades_, he thought.

_But I'm not Kim Tan. _He wasn't. So what if he had instigated a couple of bar fights? It's not like he's never fought before. So what if he was so drunk he couldn't even see straight? It's not like he never drank a whole bottle of soju on a dare (blame Myung Soo, always blame Myung Soo).

_I'm not Kim Tan. _Young Do's back hits the brick wall of a building as he rethinks this, his legs shaking as he uses all his willpower to stay upright. His vision is spinning and he's getting nauseous. Young Do thinks he must be getting delirious too, because he can almost smell the scent of Eun Sang's lemon shampoo.

"Aish, look at you," he hears a voice from the fog in his mind. It sounds disapproving but holds affection behind that tone, which is enough to force him to stand up straight. He focuses on the brown eyes glaring at him through the fog, and soon Eun Sang's face materializes.

"You're here," he grins, his words slurred. Young Do runs a clumsy finger down her cheek before poking at it. "I thought you left me for good. I thought you really, _really_ rejected me this time." Eun Sang blows her hair out of her face, exasperated.

"You always misunderstand me," she snaps, taking his arm across her shoulders. She supports his back with one arm and grabs his wrist with her other hand. Eun Sang begins walking with him, balancing his almost dead weight with her tiny body. In the back of his mind, Young Do tries to remember how to walk like a human being so that way she doesn't have to struggle with his huge self. "I didn't turn you down," she continues, "I told you I wasn't ready." She stops to glare at him then, "And apparently, you aren't ready either."

"I wasn't ready for rejection," he clarifies, his head rolling her way. Her nose crinkles when faced with his alcohol-ridden breath, but she does not turn away. "I really thought I made you mine this time," he complained, sounding like a child.

"I understand that," she grunts, struggling to walk again. Young Do tries to concentrate on the movement of his blood-stained shoes while waiting for her to speak again. "But I'm not ready to be yours yet. I have some other chapters of my life to close up first. Can you accept that answer?" She stops again to lock eyes with him.

He falters, "No." It's a lie, and his tone suggests that he's confessing that, _yes, he does understand._ Young Do hates it though, all this waiting and asking and waiting and asking. It's not his style, and the state he's in right now is certainly not one he ever expected to be in. They fall silent until they reach his hotel, where Eun Sang finally speaks.

"That's alright; I don't care if you accept it. That's what I'm going to do anyway," she sighs, releasing an almost-sobered-up-Young Do's arm. He stumbles a bit, but retains his balance. He's not really drunk anymore, just exhausted.

"I really want you to stay by my side, Cha Eun Sang," he mumbles, combing a hand through her hair sloppily. They both know that it sounds like he's begging, but neither of them acknowledge it.

"I will soon. I promise, Choi Young Do," she vows, but he raises his brow at her skeptically. Eun Sang pulls the rings from her pocket and takes off the necklace she's wearing. He watches her curiously, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling that has suddenly appeared along with the rings.

"Alright look," she holds up the two rings before sliding them onto the chain of her necklace. She then clasps the necklace around her neck and let's rings drop under her shirt. "I'm going to keep these for now, and when I'm ready, I'm going to find you." She taps her chest, where the rings have disappeared to. "And then I will return your ring, and you will give me mine." Silence follows her speech, and Eun Sang squirms under Young Do's gaze (who's frankly been staring at her chest for too long). She coughs, causing his head to snap up. He looks alert now, infuriated, but alert.

"Fine," he growls. "We'll do it your way." He's about to stalk through the hotel entrance, but Eun Sang catches him by the end of his T-shirt and buries herself against his back. He freezes, his breath caught in his throat.

"Don't be mad," she whispers. "Please understand, Young Do. We're not ready for this. Not quite yet." Her arms wrap around his waist and Young Do struggles to find his willpower. "I'll find it, okay? The perfect moment for us to come together... I'll find it and then I'll stay by your side for as long as you'll have me." He turns on his heels to face her, anger melting when he looks down at her pleading eyes.

"You're a fantastic writer until the end, Cha Eun Sang," he says flatly, yet his hand ruffles her hair gently. His eyes are beginning to lose their edge. "Trying to make this into a perfect romance, huh? Was Brazil not good enough for you?"

She laughs bitterly, "No it's not. I need something else first."

"I'll give you the world," Young Do replies with a serious expression. Eun Sang's eyes begin to water and she swallows, cupping his face in her hands.

"I'm sure you could. But I want to reach for the world with my _own_ hands. Please tell me you know how that feels. Please," she begs, stepping closer to him, if that was possible at this point. He groans in defeat, brushing her hair from her face.

"I could resent you," he acknowledges. He pauses, before finally admitting the truth, "But I think I love you too much." Young Do kisses her forehead and taking her wrists in his hands, forcing her to release him. She looks shocked by his confession, and he decides that this is how he wants to leave her.

"Goodbye, Cha Eun Sang," he gives Eun Sang his signature smirk, and it works, despite his eyes being wet. Her body shudders under his grin and he disappears into the cool of the air-conditioned hotel.

Young Do believes he can bear the lack of her warmth at his side. It's just for a little longer.


	6. Drabbles II

**I've vowed not to write YoungSang parent fics until I figure out the dynamic between the YoungSang couple _before_ Sol Bi. So that's what happened here. Take the adventure with me and suffer LOL.**

* * *

_Rain:_

* * *

Eun Sang owns one pair of Converse, running shoes for gym, and a pair of snow boots. It's all her mother and she can afford to fit in their closet-like room. Eun Sang's never minded the lack of space; they have few items worth keeping around anyway. Her lack of shoes never bothered her either, especially when her mother only owned work shoes and two pairs of slippers.

Yet visiting Bo Na and seeing her entire room dedicated to her shoe collection had made Eun Sang a little envious. She doesn't consider herself fashionable, that's out of her price range, but she does wish she could have a cute pair of heels or two.

Eun Sang's brought out of her thoughts when lighting breaks the sky, followed by a terrifying crack of thunder. The weather is perfect for the beginning of a horror movie. The crosswalk light changes and she follows the small crowd across the street. They are all running in panic over the rain, but she takes her time, laughing to herself. A man glances at her wearily before sprinting ahead to his parked car. She must seem like a mentally disturbed person, with her soaked coat and wet knees. What idiot would go out in a skirt in this weather, this early in the morning?

Eun Sang vows to use her next paycheck to buy her mother boots or sturdy sneakers. Hee Nam had taken her snow boots today to buy groceries for the Kim family today. Apparently they were hosting a small get-together for RS International's family. Eun Sang curses; of course it's when it's raining that she's forced out of the Kim residence. At least there's school today, because otherwise she'd have nowhere to go.

She gets to school just on time, because the rain slowed her down, and her Converse send her sliding in through the entrance. Eun Sang walks down the hallway with her wet ponytail dripping behind her, and that's when she notices a strange amount of color popping out from the standard uniform of the female students.

Everyone has brightly color rain boots. They're not wet or muddy, as her Converse are, but they are beautiful. Eun Sang guesses that while the rich dress for the weather, they never utilize their attire properly. She can bet that none of these girls' boots have even seen a puddle. She likes Ye Sol's the best, sleek black offset by pink rubber bows at the top. She can hear students bragging to each other about their American branded boots, and she also takes notice of the snickering as people realize how soaked their transfer student looks.

"Tan couldn't drive you today?" Ye Sol finally sneers, and all Eun Sang can do is stare at her pretty, pretty rain boots. She knows when not to fight back.

"Obviously, he's meeting with his _fiancée _today, from what I heard," one of Ye Sol's friend replies, rather maliciously. She waits for the inevitable downpour of mockery, but it never comes. Instead Ye Sol and her friends are rushing away, muttering to themselves. Eun Sang glances to the side, expecting Bo Na or Chan Young.

Instead Young Do stalks down the hall, heading straight for her. As usual, Myung Soo is hanging off his arm and the other students are backing up into their lockers. He doesn't acknowledge her until he's right next to her.

"We have homeroom now, transfer student," he addresses her in a formal tone, but his eyes are burning. He's angry for her, she can see that much. He probably found out why she's has to face the wolves by herself today. Eun Sang nods obediently and quickly gathers her books, which Myung Soo enthusiastically grabs from her.

"I can get this for you, my beautiful lady," he bows dramatically while clutching the books to his chest.

"But you're not in the same –"

"Our room is on the way to his," Young Do dismisses her, walking away but at a slow enough pace so she and Myung Soo can follow behind him. She notices that he's wearing a Jeguk sweater despite the warm temperature of the building. She asks him why a few minutes into homeroom, and he then chuckles.

"Can't let our transfer student freeze to death," he smirks, shrugging off the sweater and placing it on her shoulders. People are watching and whispering again, but Eun Sang is too stunned to notice. Her cheeks turn a traitorous shade of red, but she puts her hands through the too-long sleeves anyway. Young Do actually smiles at her then, "There. Now you won't die from pneumonia." Eun Sang feels the glares of the girls watching and her cheeks burn from the public attention.

"Thanks," she mumbles into her hand, which got lost somewhere in the length of the sleeve. She just realized that he must have been thinking of her early this morning if he planned to bring the Jeguk sweater all along. The teacher finally gives them the okay to leave, and Young Do turns to go, smirking behind his shoulder.

"Stay warm, Cha Eun Sang," he says her name with a raspy sound that leaves her momentarily breathless. She finally becomes aware of her surroundings when Chan Young appears in the door way, reminding her that its first period.

The next day it's still raining, Tan and Rachel are still stuck in some family debate in the Kim residence, and Eun Sang's Converse are still trekking mud through the halls. She arrives to her locker where Lee Bo Na is waiting, a large box in her hand.

"Yah. Cha Eun Sang. This thing was left here for you early this morning. You're lucky I had a meeting here at six, otherwise someone would have stolen them." Bo Na directs her last statement to a group of girls cowering into the lockers across from her.

"What is that?" Eun Sang asks, opening her locker and shrugging off her bag and coat. Much to the other girls' displeasure, she's wearing Young Do's sweater again.

"How am I supposed to know? I didn't get it for you," Bo Na huffs, crossing her arms and dropping the box and Eun Sang's feet. Eun Sang finishes packing her bag for the day and the bends down to untie the bow on the box.

"Then who's it from?" Eun Sang wonders, removing the lid.

"I don't know. I told you, I didn't –" Bo Na cuts herself off with a gasp, immediately reaching down to inspect the gift.

"Did Chan Young get this for me?" Eun Sang murmurs behind her hand; she's truly surprised. She lifts up a one of the rain boots in awe. The girls around them gasp in shock, much like Bo Na did. It's black like Ye Sol's, but with little blue owls patterned on it. Whoever gave this to her must have known about her small obsession with the character: she has the owl-themed notebook and pencils as well, and a charm on her phone. Eun San kneels on the floor, looking for a card or note.

"No, he couldn't have," Bo Na snaps, annoyed. "This brand is almost too expensive for even me, Chan Young could never afford this," she sounds certain. "Plus," she adds, "This brand doesn't do customizations. You have to know someone to get a job like this done." Bo Na lifts the other boot and points to the owls. "Though I don't know why someone would want such a tacky character on their shoes," she grimaces, and Eun Sang finally finds the note:

_Ask and you shall receive._

_ Well you never asked, but that's expected._

_ It's alright; I can read your expression well._

_ Jump in puddles of your enemies' blood for me, okay?_

Eun Sang snorts at the last line as she recognizes Young Do's neat calligraphy. She's touched by his gift and seizes the boot from Bo Na's hand, hugging both to her chest.

"I love them," she confirms, just as the bell rings for homeroom.

Within the first two minutes of homeroom, Eun Sang's positive that all the girls there know that her boots are from Young Do. She's not usually showy, but she rubs her boots together to make squeaking noises. Eun Sang's not used to others envying her, but it is addicting to see everyone coveting something that _she's_ wearing for once. It's send a thrilling shiver down her spine.

Young Do doesn't show up until he walks in with a late pass to third period English, taking his usual seat across from her. He doesn't look at her until she rubs her shoes together, then he glances down and smiles softly. When he peers up at her from their reading book, he freezes.

"You're wearing it," he states, slightly surprised. She smirks behind the binding of her book.

"Well you did buy it for me," she answers slyly, rubbing her feet together again. He glances down and then back to her shoulders.

"You know what I'm talking about," he grumbles, ducking behind his book. Eun Sang's not entirely sure, but she thinks he's blushing.

"I washed it," she confirms. "But I don't I want to give it back."

"It costs a lot," Young Do smirks despite the fact his cheeks _might _be pink.

"How do you want me to pay you back?" she teases, even though she understands the danger in doing so. Eun Sang's tired of wandering around by herself in the rain while waiting for Tan. She needs someone to take her mind off things.

"Just enjoy yourself with these things, that'll be enough," Young Do replies, kicking at her feet to indicate the boots. She's a little perturbed to be given such an easy task, but nods.

"Alright, if that's what you want."

At the end of the day, she catches Young Do waiting for his ride under the safety of Jeguk's entrance. She's about twenty feet away, but through the rain she can tell he's watching her. She blinks down at the puddles in front of her and gets an immature idea. She zips her coat all the way up prays her mother won't be too angry with her later.

Eun Sang jumps straight into a puddle, the water soaking part of her skirt and the top of her stockings but not her feet. She laughs, feeling a bout of childish ecstasy rising up in her. She jumps again and again, giggling in delight when the water doesn't soak into her feet.

Young Do's chauffeur arrives and opens the door for him, but he's stuck watching Eun Sang. His chauffeur looks from Young Do to Eun Sang, before nodding in understanding.

"Sir?" he prompts, and Young Do tears his gaze away from Eun Sang to give him his attention.

"Yes?" Young Do coughs, trying to clear his throat. The chauffeur decides to ignore the fact that his young master _is _rather flustered.

"We still have an hour to spare before your meeting," he reminds innocently. But it's enough to make Young Do throw his bag in the back seat and pull up his hood. He runs toward Eun Sang without another word. The chauffeur finally smiles, climbing back into the driver's seat. He's never seen the young master look so, well, _young_.

* * *

_Broken Umbrella:_

* * *

Young Do ends up stranded on one side of campus, with a broken umbrella and a downpour of rain to face. Angrily, he tosses the umbrella away, missing the trash can by a foot. He needs to get across the field to the opposite building in time for his midterm, but his this good-for-nothing-umbrella seems like it's going to cost him his 98th place. He just _can't_ rank under Myung Soo, than his dad really _will_ kill him. But he also can't sacrifice his precious coif, which seems destined to be ruined today.

Young Do does a quick pro-con list, and then gives up. The hair will have to go. He prepares to sprint toward his class when a small but firm hand grabs his wrist.

"Yah. Choi Young Do," Cha Eun Sang pulls him back under the roof before a drop of water can even touch head. "Don't you know?" she begins to scold. "If you run like that in this weather you'll surely get a cold."

"I didn't know you cared so much," Young Do mutters sarcastically, annoyed that he was caught off guard by her. She analyzes him and the broken umbrella for a moment before gasping in realization.

"Ah, that's right! You have a midterm now!"

"We all have midterms now," Young Do deadpans. She looks flustered, but produces an umbrella from her bag. She opens it up and then turns to catch his eye.

"You have to go there, right?" Eun Sang guesses, pointing to the building across from them. He nods, a little reluctant to admit he's stuck. "I'll walk you over, I'm heading to the library there anyway," she offers, holding up the umbrella as high as she can. He can tell she's trying to cover his head, but one of the wires end up bumping his brow instead.

"Aish, just give this to me," he snaps, taking it out of her hands and holding it up himself. He wraps an arm around her and drags her with him across the field.

"Yah, I could have held it!" she exclaims, squirming in his grasp.

"I would have been better off sprinting then," he counters, not even looking down at her. She finally relaxes in his hold and then focuses on keeping up with his pace. Her shorter legs are not helping her cause.

"Are you well prepared for your exam?" Eun Sang attempts to sound unstrained while following his pace. In reality, she's gasping for air. He glances down and realizes she's practically chasing after him. He slows down a bit for their strides to match.

"I am," he answers shortly when they reach the building. He shuts the umbrella and shakes off the excess water before handing it to her. She throws it in a basket by the door once they get inside, and she walks with him to his classroom.

"Then I'm rooting for you," she replies at last, smiling while holding up a fist. Young Do's teacher is watching him curiously through the door, and he can tell that he's late. But he doesn't want to leave Eun Sang just quite yet. Neither of them moves to go, and the silence between them is suspiciously comfortable.

"Then I'll do exceptionally well if you're cheering for me," he smirks at last, boldly stealing a kiss from her cheek before waltzing into the classroom. When he glances back at the doorway as he takes a seat, Eun Sang is surprisingly not angry.

Instead she smiles gently at him, mouthing the words: "Young Do, fighting!"

Test scores come out a week later. Young Do lifts his rank to number one, much to everyone's shock and Bo Na's embarrassment.

* * *

_Broken Up:_

* * *

They're on a _break, _thank you very much.

At least, that's what she told Chan Young when he called to check on the state of her well being. She repeated the same phrase later to Bo Na, who dismissed her claim by pointing out that she _did _catch them in a lip-locked in her kitchen pantry during yesterday's house party. Kim Tan snorted when she again explained why she hadn't ridden on the back of any motorcycles lately, and he blatantly informed her that there was a bet going on between Hyo Shin, Myung Soo, Chan Young and him on when they'll get back together. Kim Tan apparently betted three days, which made an infuriated Eun Sang vow that she'll at least last a week.

Young Do's personality was menacing enough that no one other than Myung Soo had the nerve (or the idiocy) to ask about his relationship with Eun Sang. If they were on again, he'd smirk triumphantly and perhaps spare a few details, depending on his mood. If they were off again, he'd still have a shit-eating grin, as if he knew she'd come back to him.

The longest they've been separated was three weeks, thanks to that moronic bet the other boys had made. Chan Young had bet the longest amount of time, a month, and Eun Sang wanted him to win. Looking back, it was foolish of her to put a strain on her romantic relationship just to help her best friend win some (okay, a lot of) money. Disregarding her bad life choices, Eun Sang impressively avoided Young Do at school, left early from her job so he couldn't catch her, and ignored all his calls.

By the third week, Young Do had frustratingly realized that his usual tactics to catch his on and off girlfriend were proving futile. He was known to be innovative, however, so of course he created a new, foolproof plan. Myung Soo and Kim Tan had already lost the bet after the five day deadline, but Hyo Shin was still in the running. With that thought in mind, he decided to breaking on Friday afternoon wouldn't get him in too much trouble.

Halfway through a free period, Young Do perched himself on one of the rolling chairs, toying with the microphone that would project his voice over the intercommunications system. Hyo Shin was out to lunch, and knowing the senior, he wouldn't come back for the rest of the day. According to the calendar on the corkboard, Bo Na and Eun Sang wouldn't come in until after school. Still, Young Do couldn't help but feeling that someone was watching him. He shook off his suspicions, figuring that he was being hypersensitive from excitement. He cleared his throat once before pressing the 'live' button.

"Attention, attention," he spoke into the microphone, sounding almost like Hyo Shin with the amount of professionalism he was displaying. He tried not break character as he continued, "I have a wonderful announcement to make." Young Do paused, just imagining Eun Sang's shocked look in the cafeteria. "I would like to tell you all a story. It's quite romantic, in my opinion. Hmm, let's see... Well I suppose it began when a girl came to seduce a rich man in his hotel room. She's got nerve, right? Anyway, the man thought they were going to eat black bean noodles, but that crafty girl had other plans. She sauntered in, and then she began to slowly take off her –"

"Yah! Choi Young Do!" Eun Sang burst through the doors of the radio room, and Young Do tried not to laugh openly at her. She was livid. He quietly turned off the 'live' button, and removed his headphones. "What kind of game are you playing with me name now?" she demanded, stalking over to him so her knees almost hit his. He smirked, looking up at her with a dark look that made her unconsciously shiver. He leaned forward, planting his feet between hers and rolling the chair forward so his face was almost touching her abdomen. She froze, staring down at him and already anticipating his next move.

He liked when she got like this, at his side even when she had the free will to leave him. Young Do knew she liked being with him, it was just the matter of convincing her stubborn pride to give in.

"The same game we always play," he replied innocently, his hands finding their way to her waist. They then drifted down her curves while Young Do still held her gaze. She shuddered when his fingertips found the bare backs of her knees. Young Do chuckled, lazily trailing his fingers back up, this time _under_ her skirt. He suddenly gripped the back of her thighs with an surprisingly strong grip. She stopped breathing, the intensity in his gaze sending heat down her body.

In one fluid motion, he toppled Eun Sang over so she fell, straddled in his lap. She exhaled, her breath spilling onto his lips. He kissed her then, open-mouthed, rough and messy. She wanted to resist, Chan Young's stake in the bet briefly crossing her mind. Ultimately she gave in when Young Do squeezed her hips, tugging her closer. Her hands found his hair, her devilish fingers ruining his perfected coif. She pulled his head back to kiss him at a better angle, plunging her tongue recklessly into his mouth. Young Do suppressed a moan and abruptly broke their heated kiss with an explicitly wet sound.

Eun Sang pushed off of his chest to get a good look at him. His hair was totaled, but his eyes were bright as he gave her a wolfish grin. She could see her reflection in the glass behind him; her eyes wide and her lips swollen. Young Do's mischievous hands had wrinkled her blouse and hiked her skirt up to her waist. She was about to scold him but his lips quickly found the underside of her jaw when he sensed a reprimanding.

"Y-You," she stuttered, hands wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. Young Do gave her a chaste kiss on the throat, and she knew he was apologizing in advance for something. She tried to steal herself in preparation, but she didn't expect to be picked up and then thrown on the table. The wind knocked out her as she watched him lean over her like a predator. He kissed her quickly on the lips before trailing down her neck again, all while unbuttoning her blouse. He sucked at the hollow of her throat, causing her to arch up into him, her hands finding the back of his head again. Young Do scraped his teeth along her collarbone, fingers skating up her bare torso, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Her body tensed in anticipation again, as his lips move slowly down her body and –

"Well look what we have here," Hyo Shin teased, allowing himself into the radio room with a shocking amount of composure. Young Do growled as he glared up at his sunbae, hands still holding Eun Sang down to the table. Hyo Shin hardly looked threatened; instead he raised a questioning brow at the pair, taking in their current state. His eyes ended up lingering a bit too long on Eun Sang for Young Do's liking. Young Do abruptly pulled her off the table so her back was to Hyo Shin. Eun Sang cringed in embarrassment when she felt a breeze hit the back of her thighs, quickly pulling her skirt down and hoping Hyo Shin didn't catch a glimpse of her underwear.

"What are you doing here? Don't you usually skip school around the end of the week?" Young Do asked, directing his glare to the buttons of Eun Sang's blouse as he hastily pulled them through the holes. She was unable to help him, as her hands were still trembling in humiliation from being caught by her favorite upperclassmen.

"Myung Soo called me a little while ago. Told me you were breaking into my clubroom," Hyo Shin responded, a growing smirk appearing on his face. "I just _had _to come and make sure you weren't destroying anything," he added innocently.

"That little shit," Young Do chuckled in spite of the situation. Eun Sang turned around in time to catch Hyo Shin eying the desk.

"By the looks of it," Hyo Shin laughed, "you two sure had your fun." She followed his gaze to the desk, where papers that were originally in neat piles littered the desk in a haphazard fashion, some already on the floor. Her blush was stinging her cheeks by the time her eyes found Hyo Shin's again.

"We're sorry. We really are," Eun Sang mumbled, bowing twice for good measure.

Behind her Young Do snorted, "I certainly am not." She turned to him in shock, but then noticed that Hyo Shin was chuckling to himself.

"I figured you wouldn't be." He then nodded to the desk, "Clean this up, the hour's going to end in ten minutes." Hyo Shin started to see himself out when he caught the door. "Ah, yes. I remember now. Cha Eun Sang?"

"Y-Yes?" she stuttered, almost saluting him, her back straightening. Young Do resisted the urge to tease her.

"I'm going to tell the boys you're back on again," he said, pointing to the two of them then up to the ceiling. Eun Sang followed his finger with dread building in her stomach. Sure enough, in the corner of the room was a security camera. While she panicked, Young Do was chuckling.

"I wonder if Tan's stepmother was watching," Young Do mused, smirking and waving to the camera for show.

"Maybe she was enjoying it too," Hyo Shin suggested with an equally lecherous grin.

"That's revolting," Eun Sang gagged, trying to shake her head of the image.

"I'll be using that as proof, if they all don't believe me," Hyo Shin clarified, indicating to the camera.

"Yah! You can't do that!" Eun Sang screeched, but Hyo Shin was already rushing out the door.

"Send me a copy too!" Young Do called. "And split the winnings with me, you sneaky bastard."

"Yah!"

So, just for the record (and for the bet), they're back on again.

* * *

_Memories:_

* * *

He catches her wandering the streets, wavering while walking in zigzags towards the convenient store. It reminds him of the first time he caught a glimpse of her face, all those years ago, back in high school.

Back then she was sleep deprived, working only two jobs but also dealing with the stress of living in the Kim household. She was innocent back then, trusting the world enough to sleep in public. He remembers protecting her from whining kids and never being thanked for his good deed. He rarely behaved himself back then, and was less likely to go out of his way to help others; so Young Do was rather affronted when she didn't give him her thanks.

Now it's different, her eyes, blown wide from a bit too much alcohol assumption, are darting back and forth, just waiting for someone to hurt her. She's not wrong to suspect this, and sure enough an equally (actually, even more) drunk man comes staggering over to her. Young Do sighs; it's easier to scare away children then obsessive and incoherent grown men. He rushes out from the convenience store and grabs her wrist, and luckily her harasser is approaching a zombie-like stage, so he lets Young Do lead Eun Sang away without a hassle.

He sits her down on one of the stools, and place an instant cup of ramen and chopsticks before her, which she stares at dumbly. Instead of lifting the chopsticks she sticks a finger into the cup, grimacing when the liquid hits her finger.

"It's not that hot," she frowns, pulling her finger out and bringing it to her lips. Young Do tries not focus on the way her lips envelop her finger, but the action is just too captivating.

"It's not," he agrees, still a bit distracted. "I've waited a while," he informs, his tone accusatory.

"Sorry," Eun Sang mumbles, finally picking up her chopsticks and picking at the noodles. He can tell she's stalling now. He lets her gather her thoughts for a couple minutes before speaking.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, placing his elbow on the counter and then resting his hand on his palm. She shakes her head with a mouthful of noodles. Young Do sighs again, tucking stray hairs behind her ear.

Eun Sang swallows at last, "You've heard it all already. There's nothing left to say." She waves her chopsticks (with noodles still caught in between) to imitate a chopping motion, as if to physically break the conversation. He catches her flying hand in his, bringing the chopsticks to his mouth. She lets him eat that portion before breaking away from his grip to finish her food. Young Do watches her hungrily down her meal before he takes her hand in his again.

"Are you both done for good this time?" he wonders, his thumb tracing her knuckles while he speaks.

She laughs bitterly, "I don't know about him. But I'm finished. I know I am." He raises a brow at her critically and she scowls. "I wouldn't be here like this if I wasn't sure," she hisses, banging a fist on the counter.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes sincerely, another action he does only for her, again without expecting gratitude. She remains silent until he starts to trace a finger between her eyebrows, smoothing out the crinkle between them.

"I'm just really tired," she whispers, hanging her head low. "I'm working five jobs now, going back to university in two weeks. And I –" she swallows the lump in her throat, though it doesn't stop the tears from slipping down her cheeks, "– I made time for him. But he never showed up. I called him today, and the idiot tells me he's going to be in America for the next three weeks. I can't wait on him like this, it always happens like this. And he even knows I'll be back in school by then. He know and he –" Eun Sang gasps, shutting her eyes. Young Do watches as she controls herself and then takes a deep breath. When she reopen them, she seems calmer. "I'm exhausted of living like this," Eun Sang confesses, "I'm really done this time. I swear." Her voice holds such finality to it, and he believes her. There's only so much neglect a person can take, he knows that better than anyone.

"What do you want?" Young Do rasps, swiping his thumbs under her wet eyes. She hiccups, closing her eyes again and leaning into his touch.

"I want to run away."

"Alright," he agrees easily, taking her hand and hauling her up. He leads her outside and Eun Sang's hand tightens around his as if she could die if she let go. He takes her to his bike where he searches the back compartment for an extra helmet, when she suddenly hugs him from behind. He stiffens, waiting for an explanation.

"Thank you," she murmurs into his coat, so quietly that he isn't even sure he heard her correctly. He produces the helmet silently, noticing how tightly she's holding him through the reflection. Young Do suddenly remembers how she rejected him all those years ago, and how strange it was that he never felt resentment towards her afterwards. He only remembers wanting to always protect her, whether she acknowledged him or not. Those feelings haven't changed, though their lives have.

She's finally learned to thank him, and he's finally learned to love her selflessly. Maybe that's what _finally_ convinced her to put her hands in his coat pockets as they speed into the night, leaving their memories at the convenience store.

* * *

_Sunshine:_

* * *

Eun Sang meets Kyung Ran for the first time outside of his mother's café. She's wearing a pink summer dress that he bought for her sometime in the spring, but hasn't dared to wear until this hot, July afternoon.

He fans himself with a menu as Eun Sang chats it up with his mother, and he suddenly realizes in horror that he's sweat through his white button up. While Young Do is known among the female population as a "hot looking guy," the phrase can also be taken literally. For every perfectly crafted cell in his body, there is always a drop sweat sliding down his back and neck. It's a disgusting feeling, and he can bet that right now his meticulously styled coif is deflating as his mother laughs at one of Eun Sang's jokes. Kyung Ran disappears inside with their orders, and that's when Eun Sang finally turns to him and realizes his current state.

"Aish, Young Do. What's wrong with you?" she asks worriedly while taking her napkin to blot his face. He reveals in the feeling of sweat being removed from his body until the heat of her hand comes in contact with his drenched neck. "Ew," her face contorts in disgust, and she hurriedly shakes her hand, as if his sweat will fly off. "Are you always like this?"

He opens his eyes and nods solemnly, "I hate these types of summer days." Kyung Ran then arrives with lemonade and quickly pours him a glass. He downs it in less than ten seconds and pours out two more glass's worth before finally stopping.

Kyung Ran laughs, "Even when you were young, you were so intolerant to heat."

"Will you be alright?" Eun Sang asks, about to check is temperature with her hand but then remembering the amount of sweat he's producing. "Are you getting a heatstroke?"

"He should be alright," Kyung Ran answers for him, just as a couple exits the café. She peers inside and grins. "Bring him inside, a table just opened up."

Eun Sang obediently hauls Young Do up by his wrist (looking rather squeamish to be touching him) and brings him to the table inside. Customers take in his appearance, the older women crinkling their noses in distaste while younger women gasp and awe at the 'attractiveness' of his sweaty self. Their table is unfortunately placed by the window, and Young Do quickly ushers Eun Sang into the seat facing the sun. He takes the chair by the shade as his mother sets down their lemonade and cake. She pinches his cheek playfully, grinning like typical amused mother.

"This setting should do you some good now," she chuckles, having the nerve to lean in and kiss his soaked cheek. She runs off when a customer calls for her, leaving him with his girlfriend.

He's jealous of Eun Sang in this sense: she almost never sweats. Apparently her old neighborhood was in an area of Korea outside of Seoul, somewhere known for its impressive hot temperatures in the summer. She's joked on numerous occasions that Seoul's summers are like spring to her. He envies her for being able to say that.

It doesn't help that she just seems to _belong _in the sun. Even now, in her baby pink dress with the sun illuminating her face so she has to squint a bit, she looks stunning. Her hair tints red in the light and her eyes glow a warm chocolate brown. He's bit in awe of her beauty, stuck staring at her as he pants like a dog from overheating.

"Yah, don't look at me like you're going to jump my bones," she orders, poking him in the chest. She seems to regret that decision as she wipes her finger on the table cloth. "You really are gross," Eun Sang informs him matter-of-factly.

"I know," he groans, combing back his hair. Sighs of content echo in the room from a bunch of young girls watching them. Eun Sang gives them a threatening glare before turning sweetly back to Young Do. He smirks at her childish antics.

"It's okay, some people are enjoying your situation," she points out, laughing. He's again shocked by how goddess-like she looks in the sun. He wants to reach out and touch her, claim her to him, but he's pretty sure his hands are permanently glued to his trousers.

"I need a shower," Young Do groans, feeling the stickiness of dried sweat plastering his shirt to his back.

"We can't just leave your mother," Eun Sang argues, gathering a piece of cake on her fork before holding it out to him. He takes a bite and then grudgingly admits to himself that this cake is good enough to sit there uncomfortably. She feeds him another piece, and this time he hears sighs of disappointment behind him. Eun Sang is smirking at something behind his shoulder, and he can just guess what it is.

"Yah, stop worrying about everyone else already. You already know who I would choose," he snaps. He looks out the window, glaring at the offending sunlight before turning back to his goddess. "We're going to leave after this. Mother looks busy anyway. We can take her out for dinner tonight."

"I'll go tell her," Eun Sang replies, downing a mouthful of cake before getting up in search of Kyung Ran. Young Do quickly devours the rest of their dessert, downs his glass of lemonade, and then heads to the cashier to pay. By the time he receives his receipt Eun Sang skips back to him, Kyung Ran disappearing into the kitchen.

"She said she'll get off by seven. I told her we'd pick her up by eight-thirty," Eun Sang explains.

Young Do nods, "Perfect." When he leads her outside, back into that dreaded heat, Eun Sang begins laughing to herself. "What?" he demands, his mood dampening from the heat already.

"It's just –," Eun Sang blushes, covering her mouth with a hand to keep from giggling.

"What? Is there something on my face?" he questions, swiping wearily at his cheek. Eun Sang shakes her head, reddening even more.

"No it's just… I guess I get it now. What those girls see in you, when you get like this," she quickly indicates his body with a wave of her hand before continuing. "You look very... A-Adonis-like," she stutters, and then sprints ahead of him in embarrassment.

"Adonis-like?" he repeats, confused. Young Do pauses as he slowly absorbs what she just said. When Eun Sang turns around, he's grinning like the devil.

"What?" This time she looks annoyed. He licks his lips, meaning that he was about to give her a lewd suggestion.

"Do you want to shower with your Adonis when we get home?" he asks, quickly crossing the distance between them, his eyes rich with mirth.

She hits him.


	7. Love Story In Mango Six

**A/N: Was prompted to write a fic about Eun Sang having trouble organizing a bday party for Young Do. I got off track. As usual.**

* * *

**Love Story in Mango Six**

**(Coffeeshop!AU)**

* * *

Eun Sang's popularity at_ Mango Six _relied on a couple of things: her looks, her efficiency, her patience, but mostly the interest she took in her customers. Her manager had often praised her social skills, insisting she take business classes and become a manager herself. She always smiled and nodded, trying not to despair in the realization that this may be all her life added up to.

A variety of customers stop by throughout her evening shift. School kids came around in the beginning, then families, couples, and it always ended with college students and other lost souls loitering around the shop. She liked and hated the last stretch the most, because while some lonely people were charming and kind, others were repulsive and insatiable. Eun Sang would talk to anyone that strolled in, it was part of her job description, but there was always one particular customer she looked forward to in the last hours of her shift.

Choi Young Do would always arrive an hour and half before closing time on Saturday nights, and left and hour after she flipped over the 'closed' sign, at midnight. He never planned on overstaying his visit and she never planned to go another hour unpaid, but it always ended up that way. He came late to avoid public eye, someone of his status strolling into a shop where the drinks were made by high school students and the manager lived in a house a quarter of the size of his own would be scandalous. Eun Sang didn't mind wasting hours with him; she always had her signature mango smoothie waiting for him when he arrived.

He first met her when she was taking out the trash, where she caught him bent over in the alleyway where the dumpster was. Eun Sang remembered scurrying around his lifeless body to toss the bag before coming back and hauling him into the back door of the shop. Young Do had been surprised by her strength and the selfless way she cared for him, a stranger with a bruised jaw and a black eye. She made him an ice pack and put a band-aid on the split in his eyebrow, and since then Young Do hadn't been able to get her out of his head.

The first time he came back she made him a smoothie and bandaged his hand, where the knuckles had been split open after a fist fight. He saw the questions swimming in her eyes, but Eun Sang was still at the point where she treated him like a customer. Young Do swallowed down the bitter feeling in his chest, he didn't want to be considered just another facet of her job. He wanted to stay be her side, where her gentle hands could mend his body back together.

So he told her everything he knew about himself, from the way his heart ached when he walked past his mother's room, to the way his best friend Myung Soo might have a love line with his dog, Hades; and how his father only looked alive when he struck his son. Eun Sang took it all in quietly, picking up the pieces of his life and safekeeping it in her heart.

When he was finished, when his body was physically exhausted from emptying his mind of the words he's held for so long, Eun Sang intertwined his fingers in hers and brought his hand to her lips. She sighed against his knuckles, her eyes falling shut. Young Do was unsure of how to respond. He only knew violence and trickery.

"Say something," he finally prompted. Her eyes fluttered open, looking at him blankly.

"My mother is a mute," she answered, her breath tickling his hand. He stared back at her uncomprehendingly. "I only know how to speak fluently in breaths and silence," she clarified, laughing as if she made a joke. Young Do leaned forward, intrigued.

"And what is my silence telling you?" he teased, bringing his face dangerously close to her. She stared disinterestedly back at him, though the tint in her cheeks informed him that she was affected. He was about to pounce his little prey when she gave him a disarming, sad smile. She shook her head as if shaking out a thought. Eun Sang closed the distance so their foreheads collide, her lips almost brushing his as she spoke.

"You're safe here," she whispered, shattering Young Do's collected attitude. He took her by the shoulders, shaking her anxiously.

"Yah, Cha Eun Sang," he demanded for her absolute attention. "What did you just say?"

"You're safe with me," Eun Sang repeated softly, her eyes earnest and insistent in a way that comforted him. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, this wasn't how he was supposed to fall in love, but he took her by the arm and pulled her into his chest.

She held him tight enough to make him forget who he is.

xXx

Chan Young, who was more or less friends with Myung Soo who was best friends with Young Do, informed Eun Sang that a certain chaebol's birthday was coming up.

When she brought it up to the man himself, with her legs up on his lap as she leaned back against her chair, Young Do merely shrugged the question off.

"It's not that important," he replied, attempting to scoop tapioca out from the bottom his drink. She watched with mild interest as he repeatedly tried and failed to grab the black spheres hiding underneath the ice.

"You're turning _eighteen_," Eun Sang stressed, motioning to her phone where the announcement of his party was. "It seems like a big deal in your world." He skimmed the headline and snorted.

"Oh, that," he scowled, giving up on the tapioca and placing the cup back on the table. "That's just a show; nothing worthwhile usually happens, other than rich men with their bitchy daughters coming by to shake my hand."

"Choi Young Do!" she scolded, leaning up to slap his arm. "Don't say things like that," she ordered, shoulders hitting the back of the chair again. She scrolled through the article and then sighed wistfully. "It sounds like fun," she mumbled, a bit envious. He raised a curious brow at her, taking in her deflated expression.

"Yah," he lifted her chin with a single finger, making her look up at him. "If you want an invite so badly just ask to be my date."

She gasped, scandalized, "Young Do. I can't just _go_ to a place like _that_."

"And why not?" he growled indignantly, motioning to their surroundings. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Eun Sang shook her head, laughing, "It's not the same, and you know that." She sighed, getting up to clean his mess. Young Do watched her for moment, collecting his thoughts before speaking.

"Eighteen is the age I either make my freedom or lose it all," he confessed, watching her busy hands instead of her face. She waited for him to continue, wiping down the table patiently. "I'm officially apart of the market," he finished cryptically.

"What market?" Eun Sang stopped to give him a quizzical look.

He smiled ruefully, "I did say there was going to be a lot of pretty girls there, didn't I?" Young Do watched realization dawn on her face before she abruptly turned away. He caught sight of her reflection the window though; she was clearly upset.

"Bitchy," she stated, walking towards the garbage. She drops the leftovers of his meal into the bag before tying it up. Young Do quickly ran over to carry it out before she could even get a grip on it.

"Bitchy?" he questioned, hauling the bag outside. Eun Sang followed behind him with her keys and backpack in hand, still avoiding his gaze. She locked the front doors before catching up with him.

"You called them bitchy," Eun Sang clarified as he dropped the bag into the dumpster. "Though, I suppose it doesn't matter. A key to freedom is a key to freedom, after all," she scoffed, sounding disgusted. Young Do's eyes widened in surprise, he didn't expect her bitter tone.

"Yah," he snapped, turning back to flick her forehead. "It's not like that, and you know it." He took her hand in his to emphasis the point, leading her to his motorcycle.

"Whatever," she muttered, ripping her hand away from his grasp in favor of taking a helmet. "When is this stupid party anyway?" she asked as he adjusted the fitting of her helmet. He gazed at her for a moment, slightly disoriented by her sudden change of heart. He slapped the visor down over her eyes so she wouldn't see his disappointed expression.

"The day of," he answered, mounting the bike. She followed behind him, grudgingly holding his waist as he suddenly gunned down the street. "You're still invited, you know," Young Do yelled over the engine.

"I'm working," she yelled back, hitting his side in annoyance. Eun Sang hoped her voice masked her crestfallen state.

xXx

Young Do's birthday extravaganza was streaming on all the major channels, the way a presidential inauguration might run. Guests were filmed walking into the venue, some giving interviews to the massive crowd of paparazzi surrounding the building. Some of the news correspondents on TV had received access inside, which was what Eun Sang was currently watching on _Mango Six_'s ancient machine of a TV. Young Do's figure was shown enough times for Eun Sang to get a gist of the situation. She tried not to let her heart stutter when he graciously took an ahjumma's hand or when he led another young girl to the dance floor. She tried to breathe when he talked charismatically to a correspondent, looking devastatingly handsome in his tailored suit.

She didn't really recognize the figure on TV, Young Do's grace was so carefully orchestrated and his smile held in place with a cold exterior. He seemed like a predator, scarily reminding Eun Sang of the debt collector that used to haunt her mother or her former boss when she still worked as a maid. Her cheeks burned in shame as she rang up an order while bluntly watching the TV with masochistic interest.

Young Do was talking to another news reporter when an absolutely stunning girl, in a scarlet dress strutted his way, a small plate of appetizers in hand. She introduced herself as his sister, "Yoo Rachel," then dragged him off with a mischievous glint in her eye. He gave her a crude smirk, the first explicit emotion to cross his face on TV. Eun Sang's inside churned as she desperately tried to remember that this is the Yoo Rachel that Young Do hated with a burning passion, the woman who was his sister by _marriage_ and laughed when he was covered in bruises. Yoo Rachel liked blood and violence and pain and suffering, to an even stronger degree than Young Do. The cameras and microphones caught their conversation, where Rachel fed a finger snack right into his mouth. She makes some useless comment about the food, which Young Do responded to politely:

"Expensive meals are truly the best kind."

Eun Sang's heart dropped to her stomach as she rushed away from the counter, mumbling something to her coworker. He took over without much complaint, and she escaped to the alleyway outside. Her vision blurred as she sunk to her knees, attempting to get a grip on reality.

Her hands were calloused from cutting vegetables last night, and she felt the roughness of them as she pressed her palms to her eyes. Her mind bitterly wandered to Yoo Rachel. The heiress probably had soft hands, to match a soft body with precisely measured curves in a beautifully styled dress.

Eun Sang took a couple deep breaths, knowing if she cried she wouldn't stop. There was still three hours left in the work day, and she had promised to close the shop. She didn't have time for this nuisance in her busy life; she didn't have time for _him. _

Swallowing, Eun Sang marched back into the shop with watery eyes, trying to forget the fact her jajangmyun was waiting in the fridge, wrapped in a bow with the tag addressed to the man she loved.

xXx

Young Do hated the taste of white wine but finished his glass in single gulp before loosening his tie. An important Chinese heiress and her father had still yet to arrive, but his patience is spent and Eun Sang hadn't sent him a single birthday message yet. He had met too many women tonight, names jumbled in his mind even though they were definite pinpricks in his father's.

This was the definition of work: doing something he despised in an effort to gain something he wanted, badly. He swallowed, taking in the scene around him before, dropping his empty glass on the table. His work is done here, his father can meet the Chinese family himself. There's a breaking point for everyone, and Young Do had surpassed the point long ago.

With a vague idea in his mind sounding very close to 'fuck it,' Young Do jumped over the back fence and walked up to the main road, hailing a taxi. The driver was alarmed to find the heir of _Zeus _climbing into his car.

"Don't," Young Do warned acidly, checking his phone again to no messages. The driver snapped his jaw shut, clearing his throat and turning away to gain some coherence.

"Where to?" he asked. Young Do peered at the clock on the stereo and cursed. Closing time was in less than an hour. He hurriedly gave the driver the address, and then pulled out a ridiculous amount of money from his breast pocket.

"Make it quick," he ordered, waving the cash before pulling out his phone. He had a couple things to take care of.

xXx

Eun Sang was mopping the floor when Young Do came barreling in, consequently landing on his backside because of the slick floor. He groaned, grabbing the table to haul himself up. Eun Sang gaped at him in shock, motionless.

"Yah, you're not going to help me? Are you still mad?" he questioned, wincing when his hip made strange cracking noise. He really was getting older.

"W-What are you doing here?" Eun Sang shouted dropping the mop to point a finger at him. "Why are you here?" Young Dog gave her a lazy smile.

"Because I missed you," he replied, giving her a wolfish grin. She sputtered, backing away with shaking hands. He frowned, conscious of her disoriented state. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded, grabbing her hand. She wrenched away from him as if he burned her; her cheeks certainly made it seem like he had.

"Nothing," she murmured, refusing to meet his eyes. Young Do scrutinized her before deciding a different approach.

"So did you get me something nice?" he wondered, stepping forward to invade her space again. She paused, and he could tell she was deciding whether or not to be honest. "Tell the truth," he insisted, grabbing her chin to make her look at him. She shrunk back, uncharacteristically shy. Slowly, she nodded. He backed up, giving her room so she didn't feel so agitated. "Go get it," he urged, tired of watching her squrim in silence.

She shuffled slowly to the fridge as he took a seat, and he heard the sound of the microwave heating something up a few moments later. Eun Sang came back with bowl that was seeping steam from the edges of the loose covering and chopsticks.

"What's this?" Young Do asked, astonished. Eun Sang burned under his startled expression, she felt pitiful now that she was about to disappoint him.

"Jajangmyun," she mumbled, pulling off the lid to let out a large amount of steam. The air cleared to reveal the black bean noodles, and the delectable smell permeated the room.

Young Do blinked, "This is your doing?" Eun Sang swallowed, holding chopsticks tightly to her chest.

"Yes. I made it," she confirmed, her hands almost breaking the chopsticks. When he didn't respond fast enough, she panicked. "You don't have to eat it. It's dumb. You won't like it. I couldn't buy – I didn't know – I wasn't sure what else I could give to you." Young Do smiled gently, pulling the chopsticks from her death grip.

"Thank you," he said, stirring the noodles.

"No, don't thank like you're required to," Eun Sang pleaded, causing Young Do to look up at her curiously. "I'm not like _them_. I don't need your insincerity."

"Who's says I'm being insincere?" Young Do argued, visibly offended. Eun Sang cowered back, hands quivering a bit. Her actions didn't go unnoticed. "Yah. What's with you? You've been weird since I walked in." He scanned the shop before landing on the TV. He froze. "Eun Sang," he began cautiously, "have you been watching the streams this whole time?"

"No," Eun Sang answered immediately, too fast for it to be the truth. Young Do paused, thinking back to the last few hours before everything suddenly fell into place.

"Eun Sang," he ordered, grabbing her chin again. She shakily looked up into his eyes, and he was stunned to see tears building up. "Don't take anything like that to heart." Young Do pointed to the TV. "I know you know better than that." A small sob shook through her body, and she bowed her head.

"I know, I know," she mumbled. "You just sounded so sincere in everything you did, and I –"

"Yah," Young Do growled, pulling her body close to his. "You know me better than anyone. You know my heart."

"Sorry," Eun Sang whispered, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'm impossible. I can't help but thinking these kinds of things. I don't know why. I just –"

"It's okay," he said, rubbing her back comfortingly. Young Do let her wet his good suit for a while before pulling her back. "Can I eat my jajangmyun now?"

"Yes," she giggled, wiping the last of her tears. He smiled and let her sit down, lifting the chopsticks again to eat. She watched him anxiously as he took his first few bites. He chewed pensively, causing Eun Sang's heart rate to double. He dropped the chopsticks, leaning back in his seat and hummed to himself. "Well?" Eun Sang prompted, worried.

"It's good," Young Do replied lowly, his eyes holding a startling amount of emotion as he locked eyes with her. "Probably the best," he concluded, still gazing at her in such an intimate regard, as if she as bare in front of him. Her heart rate tripled.

"I-I'm not that good," Eun Sang insisted meekly, shaking her hands in warning.

"No," Young Do refuted, shaking his head. "You're definitely the best." He pulled her close by the arm and kissed her on the mouth. She melded into him, tasting the hearty flavor of the noodles on his tongue. They broke apart to the sound of the bell on the door. Eun Sang shot up when she realized someone had walked in.

"Sorry we're –" Eun Sang stopped short at the entrance. "Myung Soo?!" she yelled, shocked. Behind him were Chan Young, Lee Bo Na, and a bunch of other faces Eun Sang remembered from recent Jeguk yearbook. They were dressed as impeccably as Young Do.

"Cha Eun Sang!" Myung Soo sang her name, throwing a careless arm around her. Young Do materialized behind her to shove him off. He possessively grabbed her hand. Myung Soo looked undeterred, "Are you ready to party?!" he laughed, bounding over to the clear space by the music controls. Eun Sang barely understood what was happening before a strong bass began thumping from the speakers and a couple of people began setting up the room.

Chan Young walked over to her with a dry-cleaning bag, which Young Do snatched out of his hand. Chan Young winked at her before being pulled off by Lee Bo Na.

"Young Do…" Eun Sang tried, but was too struck by what was happening around her.

"You wanted to go to a party, right? Where you could spend time with me and show off in a fine dress. Act regal, so on," Young Do waved off to imply the rest.

"Y-Yes but –," Eun Sang stuttered. She looked around, where those who didn't know her were clearly watching her.

"You're my home, Cha Eun Sang. I don't mind letting people know that," Young Do confirmed, pressing the bag into her hands. "Go on. Wear this. I'll be your safe haven tonight."


	8. Tag Team

**A/N: I was prompted to write a second-child baby fic on tumblr. I promised I wouldn't. but when people ask I really can't resist. Personally, I don't think Young Do and Eun Sang would have more then one child, and my reasons are too tedious to explain why. But I'm willing to roll more or less with whatever you guys throw at me. So here it is.**

* * *

**Tag Team**

* * *

Before she even entered kindergarten, Eun Sang and Young Do both knew that Sol Bi's devious behavior came from her father. The way Sol Bi lifted a single brow to mock her enemies, or smirked with only one side of her mouth when she was angry, or how she laughed like a manic when she had finally won something, they were all traits she eerily shared with Young Do. Every now and then he would guiltily confess that his childish behavior had rubbed off on his offspring.

Sol Bi was chubby for a six year old, a consequence of having her grandmothers visit every other day. Eun Sang worried she'd be bullied in school for it, but Kyung Ran assured her Sol Bi could take care of herself. Young Do wasn't sure why his mother was so confident in his daughter's social abilities, but he didn't question Kyung Ran.

Confused, Young Do and Eun Sang dropped their daughter off for her first day of school with anxiousness building up in their guts. Eun Sang had practically cried when they were called back to school in less than three hours. While fatherhood had more or less softened Young Do, he was easily infuriated upon hearing that a group of idiotic boys had the nerve to make fun of his daughter.

"Is she alright?" Eun Sang asked, nervously crinkling a tissue the teacher had passed her. Young Do tapped his foot impatiently, trying to remind himself that he was beyond the age of fist-fighting with children.

"Ah," the teacher paused, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. She got up and motioned to the nurse's office. "I'm sorry. I think there was a misunderstanding when the secretary called."

"She's seriously hurt?" Young Do growled, rushing past the teacher to slam open the door. The nurse jumped up in surprise, dropping a box of band-aids. She had been patching up a cut on a little boy's face. Young Do recognized him from the drop-off line from the morning. An assistant was consoling two other injured boys, both from Sol Bi's class.

"What's going on here?" Eun Sang murmured, appearing behind him.

"Appa!" Sol Bi squealed, pouncing on one of Young Do's legs. She grabbed Eun Sang's calf as well, still laughing. "Omma!" The couple quickly took in their daughter's appearance, shocked to find she was unharmed, other than a small bruise forming on her cheek. Sol Bi was grinning back at them like a madwoman, pleased with herself.

"Y-Yes, about this situation," the teacher stuttered, placing a hand on Eun Sang's shoulder. "Sol Bi, um," the teacher swallowed, wearily watching Young Do's reaction. The woman clearly knew who Sol Bi's father was. "Found an _interesting _way to, um, _handle_ the situation."

"She's a bully!" one of the boys screeched, snot dripping down his nose while pointing an accusatory finger at Sol Bi. He was still getting care from the head nurse, who gently shushed him. She also recognized Young Do for who he was. Sol Bi had the audacity to laugh.

"You're just a weenie!" she snarled back, shaking her pudgy fist at the child.

"You're a scary girl," another boy murmured, cowering behind his friend.

"Yah!" Sol Bi yelled, whirling around to glare at him. "You want to say that to my face?! I'll make you see your own brain, I'll hit you so hard!"

"Sol Bi," Eun Sang scolded, grabbing her before she could charge. Sol Bi struggled in her mother's grasp and the teacher quickly ushered them all out of the office.

Kyung Ran, much to everyone's surprise, laughed when Eun Sang and Young Do recounted the day's events. Unnerved, Young Do asked where she even found humor in the situation.

"Yah!" Kyung Ran playfully swatted her son, still giggling. "Don't you remember? You held a bit of weight under your belt at that age too. And you had no tolerance for those who disrespected you as well." Eun Sang shook her head, sighing.

"We should have expected this much," she muttered, watching Sol Bi enthusiastically rip the heads off her dolls.

Sol Bi was grounded for week, meaning she wasn't allowed to watch T.V. or play outside. In a fit of rebellion Sol Bi would lock herself up in her room after dinner, always with stomping feet and a bucket of tears.

"Aish," Young Do groaned one night, tossing a towel on the counter as he and Eun Sang finished the last of the dishes. "She really is overdramatic. Where in the world did she learn that?"

"And those death threats to the other students," Eun Sang added, biting her lip in thought. "Where did she learn those things?" Kyung Ran and Hee Nam tried to mask their amusement behind coughs.

"You should talk to her, Young Do," Kyung Ran advised, still smiling a bit. Young Do sighed and made the daunting march up to Sol Bi's room. He walked into his daughter's room to find her face down in her pillow, most likely suffocating.

"Yah," he sat down at the foot of the bed, poking her sides. "Sol Bi, get up. We need to talk." He pulled her up by the shoulders, and she hurriedly wiped her face before he could see her tears. "You know why Omma and Appa are doing this, right?" Surprisingly, Sol Bi shook her head.

"No," she mumbled, looking at her father miserably. "I thought I wasn't supposed to let people beat me up."

"Ah, that's true. But –" Young Do scrunched up his nose in search of an answer. "You can't always beat people up just to defend yourself." He scratched his head. "Well, no, you _can _beat them up…"

"I can?!" Sol Bi confirmed, her mood lightening considerably. Young Do shook his head quickly.

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that," he corrected, looking around for something to aid him in his explanation. Young Do really wasn't the ideal parent for this, this was a situation made for Eun Sang, not him. He grabbed one of the crayon family portraits from her desk, snatching a green and red crayon as well. "Look here, Sol Bi," he ordered, determined to teach this lesson regardless of his knowledge on the subject. Sol Bi watched in fascination as he quickly colored in Eun Sang with the green crayon. "Most people are like this, really nice people who are filled up with a lot of good." He pointed to the green crayon in his head.

Sol Bi tilted her head in uncertainty, "Green is good?"

"Um," Young Do swallowed. "Yes," he decided. "Green is good." He began coloring himself red, up until the half way point. "Now people like you and me," he began, coloring Sol Bi in with the same red crayon. "We're not all that nice. We like beating up people and yelling. That's bad."

"Red is bad," Sol Bi concluded solemnly, nodding her head in understanding.

"Yes," Young Do agreed with the same amount of seriousness, coloring in Sol Bi until there was barely any space left. "Now as for your Appa," he said while shading in his other half green. "He knows how to be half and half. This is good enough for someone like Appa."

"Half is good," Sol Bi confirmed, pointing to her father's picture. Young Do nodded.

"As for Sol Bi," he pointed to her drawing. "Your badness level is unusually high for someone your size."

"We have to fix that!" Sol Bi exclaimed, grabbing the green crayon from Young Do and quickly coloring over the red. "I need to be good."

"Yah," Young Do plucked the green crayon from her hand for her attention. "You can have a little red too. That's not a bad thing."

"Just not too much," Sol Bi reminded. Realization suddenly dawned on six year-old's face. "Not too much badness."

"Yes," Young Do agreed. "Exactly."

The next week Eun Sang found paper dolls in the pickled radish jar. The drawings on the paper creepily reminded Eun Sang of some of Sol Bi's classmates.

"Sol Bi," Eun Sang fished out a paper doll with just two fingers. "What is this?" The child looked up from her drawing, and examined the paper from afar.

With the most stoic expression, Sol Bi replied, "The boys from my class. They needed to be punished."

Young Do wasn't allowed to teach his children life lessons after that.

xXx

Choi Dae Hyun was named with the idea that he might also inherit his father's rowdy behavior. He certainly had the looks, intense eyebrows and a strangely angular face for a child. Kyung Ran and Hee Nam disagreed, using his easy delivery and docile early months as evidence.

_Eun Sang was easier than Eun Seok, _Hee Nam added, which man Eun Sang flush with pride.

"Yah, don't get worked up over dumb accomplishments," Young Do snorted, flicking her forehead.

Dae Hyun had the unfortunate fate of growing up in Sol Bi's shadow. While Sol Bi liked to act and put on shows for attention, Dae Hyun quietly followed behind his older sister until he fell over in an attempt to catch up to her. When he was still learning to walk, Eun Sang or Young Do would catch him, but when he got older Dae Hyun found himself stumbling onto his knees and receiving no help to get back up again.

It's not that Eun Sang or Young Do meant to ignore their younger child. Sol Bi just had a tendency to attract their attention, she was so loud and uncontrolled that they naturally followed her every move. Dae Hyun never complained, and when he went to school and the sudden absence of his lunch began, he still hadn't uttered a word.

It wasn't an issue until third grade, when his parents were called to the office, both of them expecting to see their son triumphantly standing on bullies. Instead, Young Do and Eun Sang arrived to other parents crying on their knees, begging the couple not to sue them. When Young Do once _again_ broke into the nurse's office, it was Dae Hyun who was sobbing and being treated for injuries.

The teacher had quietly explained that Dae Hyun usually ignored any verbal abuse against him, and had been dutifully doing so since he entered school, so she thought he was okay. Yet today a bully finally made a physical contact with him after Dae Hyun had disregarded them for too long.

Eun Sang was the one to carry Daehyun home, since Young Do was too shocked to see one of his children suffering in this way. He was even too stunned to threaten anyone else on his son's behalf. Numbly, he followed his wife and child outside to the car.

"Dae Hyun, why didn't you say anything for so long?" Young Do demanded later, gripping the steering wheel in anger as he drove. Dae Hyun misunderstood, thinking that anger was directed at him and that he was being reprimanded. Tears filled his eyes as he slouched in his seat, looking out the window. "Yah!" Young Do snapped, gaining the child's attention again through the rear view mirror. "If something like that's happening you have to tell someone: Omma, Appa, or the teacher. You can't keep those kind of things to yourself." Dae Hyun wouldn't look him in the eye. "Yah, Dae Hyun –"

Eun Sang reached over the console to grab her husband's forearm. Young Do briefly glanced at her before turning back to the road.

"I'll talk to him at home," she whispered. The ride was silent from then on.

At home, a fifth-grade Sol Bi teased Dae Hyun for his black eye and split lip. Young Do shushed her quickly, but not before she gave her input:

"Why didn't you fight back, you big baby?" she laughed, ruffling his hair before being led away by her father. Kyung Ran narrowed her eyes and followed the pair; she probably had a few choice words for both of them. Eun Sang chased after Dae Hyun as he fled to his bedroom.

"Dae Hyun!" she caught him just before he could jump onto the bed. He sobbed, turning around to bury his face in Eun Sang's shoulder. Eun Sang picked him up and rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head.

"Sorry," he whispered once he controlled his tears. Dae Hyun pulled away from his mother's sweater, wiping away the snot that leaked from his nose with the back of his hand.

"Sorry for what?" Eun Sang asked softly, wiping his stray tears away.

"I can't fight back like Appa or Noona, I'm not strong enough for that," he mumbled, turning away from her. He chewed on his thumbnail for moment, and then began to talk around it. "I don't deserve the name 'Dae.' Or 'Hyun,' I'm so stupid."

"Yah, don't say that," she chided, pulling his fist away from his mouth. "You're great and wise in your own way. I promise."

"How?!" Dae Hyun cried, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'm not strong like Appa or brave like Noona. I'm not good enough." Eun Sang remained silent for a moment, before carrying him to Sol Bi's room with an idea in mind. She led him to a drawing that was tacked up on the wall: the crayon family portrait with the addition of Dae Hyun. While Sol Bi was colored to the brim in red (with a _sliver_ of green), Dae Hyun's character leaked green right out of the lines. Not a single mark of red was on his picture.

"You know what this is, right?" Eun Sang indicated to the picture by tapping on it.

"Bad and good levels," Dae Hyun replied, hiccupping.

Eun Sang smiled, "Do you see your level?"

"I'm all green, that means I'm really good, right?" Dae Hyun confirmed.

"Right," she answered with an affirmative nod. "You see," Eun Sang started tracing his picture. "My Dae Hyun is a really great and wise hero to me." She poked his nose, causing him to giggle. "You want to know why?"

"Why?" he asked, rubbing his nose.

"Dae Hyun is brave because every day he goes to school and faces his bullies quietly. He is strong because doesn't hurt others back." She looked him in the eye then, making sure he was taking her seriously. "But," she stopped her praise, "Dae Hyun has to know when it's time for help. That's what makes a good hero."

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Omma," Dae Hyun cuddled back into her chest, hiding his face in shame. Eun Sang cradled his head, sighing.

"Appa and I weren't angry because you didn't fight, Dae Hyun. We were mad because you didn't let anyone help you," Eun Sang explained.

Dae Hyun sniffled, "I wanted to be strong like Noona or Appa. I wanted fight by myself."

"You're wiser and stronger if you ask for help though," Eun Sang insisted.

"Sorry," Dae Hyun repeated. "I'll get help next time."

"Good," Eun Sang smiled, kissing his forehead. She didn't notice Sol Bi listening in from the hallway with Young Do.

"You heard that ?" Young Do whispered, catching his daughter's eye. Sol Bi nodded, still on guard. "You have to protect your brother. You're older Sol Bi, it's your responsibility to help him."

"Okay, Appa."

The next time Dae Hyun _did_ get bullied, Eun Sang and Young Do were, once again, called to school. This time both their children were sitting in the principal's office, grinning at each other and high-fiving like a bunch of fools.

"What happened this time?" Young Do groaned, hating the fact that he was growing accustomed to the teacher's awkward explanations, crying children, and parents' angry glares.

"W-Well," the teacher stuttered, "It seems your children make quite the, um,_ dynamic duo_. She pointed across the hall to the nurse's office where at least ten boys were all lined up, being treated for various injuries.

Eun Sang buried her face into her hands. "We can't do this anymore." She sounded exasperated. Young Do pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed as well.

"Either your mother or my mother is doing the talking from now on," he agreed.

Sol Bi and Dae Hyun had the nerve to laugh.


End file.
